In The Family Way
by P.A.R
Summary: The story of how Orion and Katlin became the parents of five children, none of whom they are directly related to. The head of the Unspeakables pays Martin Loudmen, the head of the Aurors, a brief call. And it isn't a social one.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: The things you learn reading TOS.

For instance, I was not aware that author's notes were no longer allowed on FFN. (Sigh) Another break down in their community spirit. I really loved doing Authors notes, guys. Kind of gave you a little look into what I was doing, and I felt a little more connected to my readers through them.

But they are no longer allowed, so I am following rules and this will be my last.

However, sometimes I need to relay things to you that are directly related to the story. So from now on, on those occasions you will find Story Commentary, as seen below, which will explain itself.

And as always,

Enjoy.

Story Commentary: This section, guys, will be a lot less personal in the future, I'm afraid, as to comply with FFN's 'let's not connect with our readers in any way, shape, or form' rules. This section will, however, give you valuable information, such as when a story takes place, and point out any errors in previous chapters, or other pertinent information.

For this story, you can safely place it around Harry's fourth year. The exact date is not that important right now. Orion and Katlin are married in this story, and have been for a number of happy years.

People are aware Orion is married, but the list of those who know 'to who' is remarkably short. Safely assume Dumbledore, Charly, Orin Bale (remember him?), Bo (of course), Sirius, Arabella, and Hershel Bennett. Oh, and of course, the groom's parents.

The wizard in the North (Heudros) is still around and gaining power, but currently is more of a pain in the asterisk to anyone who really cares than anything else. But he is there, and it is semi-important to the story.

The theme of the story is laid out for you in the plot description line on my author's page, if you feel so inclined.

Disclaimer: With the sole exception that I am partly borrowing Rowling's settings and plot layout, this story is so OC, in that regard, it's completely mine.

**IN THE FAMILY WAY**

**CHAPTER ONE: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE**

Katlin sighed quietly as the small roadster sped over the pavement.

She loved simply riding in the open car as much as the man next to her enjoyed driving it. Especially at night, when the air was cool and the wind danced through her long, lightly tinted auburn hair.

Next to her Orion sat in the driver's seat with an intense look of concentration on his face as he skillfully maneuvered the little car through the darkness.

Just above the speeding roadster, a dark shape was keeping perfect pace with the little car, darting about it as it maneuvered through the air as easily as the driver navigated the roads. All in all, the shape seemed to take unmitigated joy in its flight. Occasionally it would attach itself to the baggage railing on the trunk and seem to simply hold on for the ride. At these times Katlin noted that Orion, with a quick backwards glance and a smile, would take the next corner exceptionally sharp, tossing the dark flapping robes off to the side and sending it tumbling through the air to shrieks of what could only be described as enthusiastic laughter. But almost instantly the dark shape would catch up to them and the game would be repeated later in the drive.

"Love," Katlin said as Orion brought the car through a sharp curve that bumped her against the door handle on her side, "it's not a race to get home."

Katlin immediately felt the car's pace decrease and heard the slight 'sorry' next to her. Not that she was the least bit worried. Orion could handle almost any situation they could get into with the car. Be it physically or magically, he always had absolute control of the machine. And she knew Bo was enjoying the outing as much as any of them, settled now on the hood of the car as he let the wind whip around him. But traveling too fast at night made her a bit quezy when everything that was passing by was just a blur.

Katlin turned her attention to the sky line off to the side.

It was a calm, peaceful night and they were just coming back from an evening in London. She pulled her black silk wrap tighter about her shoulders; her only protection from the cool night air past the strapless black gown she was wearing.

As she watched the stars just above the horizon they suddenly became obscured, only to reappear seconds later. Katlin lifted her head from the back of the seat.

"What is it, Love?" Orion asked as he noted his wife's fixed stare off to the side.

"Stop the car!" She said in a soft tone. But the hand that gripped Orion's arm was anything but gentle.

The little roadster quickly pulled off to the shoulder of the road and the dark robed hood ornament turned about to see what had happened to end the ride.

"What is it?" Orion asked again. This time more certain something 'was' wrong.

"Smoke." Katlin replied in the same, calm, almost disinterested tone. But the look she gave her husband was anything but disinterested. "There's smoke on the horizon."

"So somebody's having a cookout."

Katlin turned back to the area where she had seen the column of smoke, which was suddenly illuminated by a dim flash of light from the ground.

"And look," Orion added quickly, "they're having fireworks as well."

A small trail of gravel littered the road as the little car sped away from the curb and headed off in the direction of the flashes of light.

--------------------------------------

Parking the car a way off from where they could now smell the smoke, Orion had Bo quickly apparate them close to the area, aiming for any cover they could get.

The boggart left them safely sheltered in a small grove of trees still several hundred yards away from the source of the smoke.

The scene was everything Katlin had dreaded.

Fire was her enemy from the time she was fifteen, and smoke was its harbinger. And this time it did not disappoint. From still deep within the trees Katlin could see the blaze of the element as it reached skyward.

When they reached the edge of the trees, the scene simply worsened for her. The fire was well on its way to a raging inferno, and in the center of the conflagration stood a small house, the roof and upper story engulfed already in flames. Around the house stood a dozen or so figures all dressed in black robes and wearing masks.

"Looks like you're lot." Orion said as he watched the dark robes darting about the yard still.

But Katlin quickly shook her head, her gaze transfixed on the blazing fire. "No. These aren't my people." She replied in a whispered voice.

"Someone's masquerading as Deatheaters? That's a bit strange."

'It's not our MO, Orion." Katlin replied, pulling hard to break the trance that threatened to engulf her as she heard the skepticism in her husband's voice. "What's the point in this?" She went on, indicating the burning house. "Deatheaters do things quick and clean. The house wouldn't be burned, it would be destroyed. The rubble would be burned after nothing was left standing. And we wouldn't hang around afterwards having...some...some damned party! You do, you leave. That's how we operate."

"Not always." Orion pointed out. "What about the World Cup?"

"That was a gross and demeaning display." Katlin replied. "That action was not sanctioned by the dark lord. Those who participate were caught and punished severely."

"Well, it looks like he's got a few more in need of a good spanking."

"Trust me, they were not 'spanked'. Voldemort takes opposition to his rule very seriously. Those that oppose him usually don't do it twice." She turned a small smile to Orion. "You'll note that Lucius Malfoy has been a rather good boy of late."

"So what about this?" He asked, pointing his wand to the scene in front of them.

Katlin looked over the scene, shaking her head. "There was no attack planned for tonight." She replied. "That makes me even more certain these are not Deatheaters."

"So we have a new game in town."

Katlin shrugged. "But I don't understand what is gained by what they're doing. Why burn a house from the top down?"

Just then a streak of light flew out of one of the front windows of the house, hitting one of the robed figures, who instantly fell to the ground.

"Because what you want is still inside." Orion replied. "They're trying to smoke someone out. You stay here." He told her, heading off to the side, but staying within the cover of the trees.

"Orion!" Katlin hissed, heading after him.

But Orion stopped her. "Katlin, I need you here to try and get whoever that is inside out. I'll draw their fire. You get in and get that person out."

Katlin's eyes widened in horror. All the fear and numbing pain of all those years ago came rushing back at the mere possibility of what her husband was suggesting. "You are not serious!" She screamed in a whispered voice. "Orion, I can't! You know that!"

Orion took her by the arms and fixed his stare on her. "Katlin, whoever is in that house is still alive. They need help, and currently we are it."

But Katlin pulled hard against his hold. "I can't!" She stated with a solid conviction in her voice. "You know I can't! You know why I can't!"

Orion directed her attention back to him. "Katlin, I need you to do this! I need your help."

"Bo!" She stated suddenly, the fear in her voice rising rapidly. "Bo can do it!"

"Bo is coming with me to act as decoy. It has to be you, Love, and we're wasting time arguing." Orion set his gaze back on her, forcing her to look at him. He had to get her to get a handle on her fear, and he didn't have much time to do it in. "Katlin, I know you're scared. And yes, I know 'why'. And I know I'm asking more than I have a right to. But Love, I need help, and you're the only one here. And I wouldn't ask if I didn't believe you can do it. Now, wait until Bo and I have drawn them away from the house, then get in and get out. Bo, let's go!"

Katlin, her eyes still wide with fear watched as Orion took off through the trees, the familiar black shape hovering just above him. Taking a deep breath, she used every resource she had to force her fear back down. Finally she turned back to the blazing house, watching intently for her opening.

A few minutes later streaks of light started firing out of the trees, all from different areas. Four of the five spells hit their targets as four of the black robed figures fell to the ground.

The other robed figures turned and quickly began firing off spells into the trees randomly.

Katlin shook her head as she managed a small smile. 'Idiots.' She thought, knowing Orion was well gone from where the spells had been fired before they even started.

As if to prove her point, the black robed figures were suddenly fired on again from a different position. This time three fell while the rest turned and returned the fire. A lone shot from the house streaked by one of the black robed figures.

'Good.' Katlin thought. 'They're still alive.'

As the black robed figures fired into the trees, they were fired on a third time. This time from another completely new area. But by now they were facing away from the front of the house and no longer congregated around the front door.

Taking another deep breath, Katlin tried to focus her attention on the dark robed figures rather than what lay before her. Keeping low to the ground, she forced herself toward the house even as what felt like every cell in her body screamed for her to turn around and run back to the safety of the trees. Away from the heat. Away from the pain. Away from the horrifying memories.

How could he ask her to do this? How could she even begin to think she could?

Fear nipped at her heels as she pushed herself forward.

This wasn't going to work. The fear was too strong and she couldn't stop it from grabbing hold of her again.

As she moved forward, trying to gage her own safety, Katlin felt her heart beating as though it were trying to pound its way out of her chest. Her breathing began to seize up and she suddenly found herself choked for air.

She wasn't going to make it.

Her feet suddenly froze to the ground and refused to keep moving forward.

The fear had won and she had failed.

But even as she continued to fight it, a wailing cry cut through the air, suddenly capturing her attention to the exclusion of everything else.

A child!?

Snapped out of her trance, Katlin pulled up quickly just as a spell cut by her. The black robes had heard the cry as well and, turning back to their original target, had spotted her making for the house. Another spell cut by her even as the cry sounded again from within the house.

What were these idiots doing attacking a child!?

Katlin didn't ponder the question too long, nor did she care any longer who they were as she raised her wand and fired off several spells in rapid succession at the black robes advancing towards her. Several turned and began protecting their rear as a series of spells caught a few more from behind.

The fight was brief as the black robes found themselves caught between two adversaries. One in the front and they had no idea how many on the back. With their numbers already depleted, the remaining members grabbed their fallen comrades and apparated from the area.

"What in the name of Magic was that!" Orion stated as he came running across the yard towards his wife. "It sounded like someone was stepping on a dragon's tail."

Katlin looked absolutely pale as she turned towards the house. "It was a child." She replied a little breathlessly. "Orion, they were attacking a child."

A sudden streak of light from a spell cut between them, causing both to dive for cover.

"A well armed one." Orion put in as he pulled himself up from the ground.

"They're frightened." Katlin replied. "They're bound to be."

Orion listened to the sounds of the house under the hissing of the fire. "Well, frightened or not, we have to get whoever that is out of that house. It's close to collapsing."

"How...?"

But before Katlin could even ask, a loud creak filled the night air. Turning she watched as the roof of the house began to collapse in on itself and one side wall began to bulge outward under the weight.

A frightened shriek came from within the house.

Without even a thought of what she was doing, Katlin jumped back to her feet and ran for the house.

"Katlin!" Orion shouted, trying to grab her arm, but missing.

Pocketing his wand, Orion quickly focused, channeling the power as he called to it and felt it answering the summons. 'Keep the house standing', he recited over and over. That was all. Just until Katlin got whoever was inside out.

A solid sphere of white light formed between his hands, then suddenly leapt out, heading directly towards the house.

It hit the fragile structure straight on. Any one watching would have thought that surely the collision would have been the end of the small house. But the light immediately burst out in all directions as soon as it made contact, encircling the house in a dim, hazy glow.

From within the white sphere, not so much as a chard cinder now fell. The fire still burned and the wind still buffed it. But nothing about the house itself moved.

Orion held his stance for what to him could have been hours. His eyes tightly closed, his expression echoed the force that was holding the house together.

"Orion."

Orion reacted at once to Katlin's voice. Opening his eyes and turning to her, they widened in surprise. The sphere between his hands blinked out, and with it the glow about the house abruptly vanished.

With one loud, creaking groan, the remains of the house began to instantly crumble, walls collapsing in on themselves into a pile of flames as cinders shot up into the night sky, carried on the rising wave of heat.

Standing in front of him, next to Katlin, was not one, but four children. Three of them boys, one girl; and in her arms, Katlin held a small white bundle of cloth. All of the children were smudged with dirt as was the tiny bundle in Katlin's arms.

"Five?" He asked quietly.

Katlin nodded.

"Anyone else?"

Katlin paused, then slowly shook her head.

Orion reached out and took the small wrapped bundle from her. If anything, to him she looked as shell-shocked as the children.

"Are you all right?" He asked quietly.

Katlin again only managed a small nod.

"All right." He told her. "I'll take care of things here. You know what you have to do."

Katlin nodded again slowly. Indeed, she knew exactly what she needed to do.

But as for Orion's concerns, she knew that he had to report the attack, which would mean within minutes the area would be swarming with Aurors, as well as possibly agents from his own department due to the nature of the attack, and she couldn't be found there.

With one last look at the four dirt and soot smudged faces staring up at her, Katlin disapparated.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: YES! I know what I said last time. But sometimes I just really need to talk to you guys. Impart some much needed information. So how about this? We'll limit it to those times, OK?

On with the much needed information.

For those of you reading Family Ties, a word of warning. That story will be temporarily discontinued. I have tried working on two stories at once. It don't work, folks. And this really needs to go up first. I might do that occasional preview, but that's about it.

The author apologizes profusely.

As for Q&A, I will continue that. Folks, if you don't like it, don't read it. (But your missing good stuff, I'm telling you. I drop lots of hints here. Kinda like a text version of 'Where's Waldo?'.) But I was taught good manners, and I will continue to answer questions and thank those who took time to review. However, compromise is also a good thing, so I will only show reviews if a question was ask.

And,

as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Well, actually, it is mine. The characters, the plot, the story layout, and hours of work. Of course, anything even vaguely related to Harry Potter, is not. But the rest, all mine.

**CHAPTER TWO: QUESTIONS WITHOUT ANSWERS**

Katlin eagerly paced about the house as she waited for the sounds of the small roadster coming up the drive.

She hadn't wanted to leave Orion and the five children, but she also knew she had had no choice. Orion would have to report the attack, which meant calling in the Ministry. Her presence there would only have served to confuse an already uncertain issue.

She thought over things as she continued pacing about like a tiger in a cage. A great many of the same questions the Aurors of the Ministry were likely trying to answer were running through her own mind. Who were the people attacking the house? Why in Magic's name were they attacking children? They hadn't been Deatheaters, but why had they done all they could to make it look that way to anyone coming on the scene? Why? What was the point?

And the children. Katlin found her thoughts turning more and more to the five little faces that had looked up at her as she bolted through the doorway and into the house amid spells being fired behind her. The oldest boy, no more than in his early teens, stood holding a wand pointed directly at her. She had stopped short, then quickly set herself on appearing and sounding as non-threatening as possible. She had lowered her own wand, explained as rapidly as she could that she wasn't one of the ones attacking the house, and that she was there to try and get them out safely.

Thankfully, the children had believed her, having seen the ones outside attacking her as well as she came through the door, and followed.

But what had happened to them? What would the Ministry do with them? Where were their parents?

The questions continued to run through Katlin's mind when she finally heard the roadster pulling up the drive.

Katlin greeted her husband with a flurry of questions as soon as he came in the house. What had happened? What had the Ministry found out? Who were the people attacking the house? Had they found the children's parents?

Orion finally laid a finger firmly over Katlin's lips to stop the onslaught of questions.

"If you would give me a second, Love," he stated in a soft but firm voice, "I can answer a few of those questions."

Katlin stood in silent anticipation.

"We're not sure who the attackers were." Orion started. "They took the injured with them when they left, so there was no one to question. And they left darned little evidence behind. We're trying to track a few magical signatures. Maybe something will come of that. We'll have to wait and see."

"What about the children?" Katlin asked quickly. "Did you find their parents?"

Orion grew very quiet as he diverted his eyes from his wife's eager face to the floor.

"Orion?"

"I said they didn't leave any evidence." He replied softly. "They did leave one thing." He slowly turned back to Katlin. "They left the bodies of the children's parents out in the woods."

"They killed them?" Katlin asked, her face paling at the thought. She had killed plenty in her life. It was the nature of who and what she was. But never like this. Never so brutally. And she had never set herself against a child as those gathered around the house had done.

"It's more than that." Orion added in the same quiet tone. "Katlin, they killed them in the manner of the Deatheaters. From what I saw, everything they did was done in such a manner as to implicate your people as much as possible."

"Then they came ill prepared." Katlin spat back, quickly taking to pacing the foyer again. "Nothing about that attack implicates my people. It was cowardly and despicable. Attacking children?! The Deatheaters have more regard than that. More dignity! We do not attack harmless children!"

Orion turned slowly as he followed her progress around the foyer area. "Those children weren't so harmless, if you'll remember." He stated in a flat tone.

"It still served no purpose." Katlin replied. "The whole act was senseless."

"Well, senseless or not, the Ministry is labeling it as the work of the Deatheaters."

"What!?" Katlin cried in disbelief.

"They have no evidence to the contrary, Katlin." Orion quickly pointed out. "To them, it carried all the signatures of the Deatheaters MO."

"Because they want it to." Katlin hissed back. "Because we are convenient to the Ministry. Someone is attacked? Oh, blame it on the Deatheaters, because surely they were involved in something this erratic and senseless."

"Just the same, Love..."

"Didn't you say anything to them?" Katlin snapped at him. "You were there. You saw that it wasn't the work of the Deatheaters."

Orion paused for a moment, his expression shifting to a hard stare. "That's 'business', Katlin." He replied. "And we have rules about that."

"How is that 'business'?"

"I normally go around defending the Deatheaters?" He asked. "And how would I know this wasn't a random Deatheater attack? The only way I knew that was because you told me."

"You know the Deatheaters, Orion. You know how we operate. You knew this wasn't us. You didn't need me to tell you."

Orion slowly shook his head. "There are too many similarities, Katlin. These people did their homework. They made it look like your people."

"Then they should have studied more. Because any fool can see this isn't the work of any Deatheaters."

"Any fool on the inside. You knew there wasn't an attack planned tonight. Tell me that wasn't your first assurance those weren't your people."

Katlin fell silent. True, without that knowledge, it might have taken her a bit longer to sort things out.

"It still is far too obviously not us." She replied in a slightly less heated voice. "Surely the Ministry will come to realize that."

Orion shrugged. "Maybe. Hopefully, to tell you the truth."

Katlin looked up at her husband.

"They need to realize there's someone else out there." He answered her questioning stare. "Someone who, for whatever reason, is engaging in these attacks and trying to implicate the Deatheaters. Whatever their reasons, they need to be found and stopped."

Katlin studied him for a moment. "You have some idea, don't you?" She ask. "Who this other 'someone' is."

Orion paused, then shook his head. "Not me. Orin. He says we're still on that fraction in the north and they've been getting restless again. He didn't say anything directly, you know Orin, but he dropped enough hints at the inquiry over the attack that that was where he thought the Ministry should be looking."

"Will they listen to him?"

Orion shrugged. "Orin is viewed by the Ministry with a slightly jaded eye and a whole lot of caution. They don't like to upset him, but that doesn't stop them from viewing him as something of a loose cannon."

Katlin sighed as she rested her forehead against her hand for a moment.

"What about the children?" She asked softly. "What will happen to them now?"

"They're in the Ministry's hands for now. They'll want to question them. Get what information they can from them, and then they'll likely turn them over to the proper agency to be placed with other families."

"How comforting." Katlin stated flatly. "Get what information they can from them, then dump them on someone else's doorstep."

The Ministry is not an adoption agency, Katlin." Orion pointed out. "It's better for the children if that matter is left to the people trained to deal with the situation."

Katlin sighed quietly, then shook her head. "It's been a long night." She replied quietly. "I'm going to bed."

"Katlin." Orion called to her as she climbed the stairs.

Katlin stopped and turned back to him.

"We did everything we could tonight. For everyone." He reminded her.

"And how unfortunately for 'everyone' that it also stopped with us." She replied, then turned and headed up the stairs.

--------------------------------------

Orion came to bed later to find Katlin sitting against a pile of pillows staring absently at the wall opposite the foot of the bed. He crawled into bed next to her without so much as the smallest sign that she even noticed him there.

"Love?" Orion prompted.

But Katlin continued to stare absently at the wall.

Orion nudged her slightly in the arm. "Katlin?"

Katlin snapped out of her thoughts and turned to him as though she had just realized he was there.

"What?" She said, quickly clearing her thoughts as she gave him a small smile. "Oh. I'm sorry, Orion. Just thinking about things."

"Things?" Orion asked.

"Hmmm." She answered with a slight nod.

Orion gave her a knowing smile. "How many things?" He asked.

Katlin paused as she caught his smile, then answered it with one of her own. "Five." She answered quietly, turning back to the wall.

Orion found her hand under the covers and raised it to his lips as he gave it a gentle kiss. "Love, they'll be all right."

"How can they be?" Katlin replied forlornly, again staring at the wall. "Did you see that little girl? She was terrified."

"And she has her siblings with her."

"For how long?"

Orion sighed quietly. "They'll try to place them all together, Katlin."

Katlin gave a derisive snort. "And how likely is that, Orion? Five children? Who will want all five of them? And the older ones? Children are like puppies. Everyone wants them when they're young and cute, but no one wants the older ones. Just like no one wants older children."

"Katlin, leave this with the people trained to deal with it."

"They won't all be placed together, Orion. They'll split them up."

"Katlin..."

"If only we knew someone who could take them. Take all five of them together."

"You have someone specific in mind?"

Katlin turned eagerly to him. "What about your brother?"

"Sirius?" Orion gave a short laugh. "Katlin, Sirius just got settled into the idea of one child. I really don't think he's ready for six."

"Then what about your parents?"

"My parents? The same two people who haven't been home since they got Sirius and I out of the house due to their rather busy social schedule now? Those parents? Oh, yes, I can see that now. 'Mum. Dad. Happy retirement. Here's five more for you to raise. All under the age of eighteen. Have fun.'"

"Well?" Katlin asked hopefully.

"Katlin, why is it so important to you that you be the one to personally find these kids a home? They have agencies for that."

"Overburdened agencies who often don't really care. Just as long as they get rid of the children, Orion."

"They do the best they can."

"I just want...I want to find them a good home, Orion."

"A good home? Katlin, now you're making them sound like puppies."

"You know what I mean." Katlin answered firmly. "Just...think of what they've been through. What if they are split up? What if...what if they give them to muggles, Orion?"

"They won't go to muggles. They're too old. They'll be placed with a proper wizarding family."

"One can hope."

"They will."

Katlin sighed quietly and turned her attention back to the wall.

Orion sat watching her for a few moments. "It really bothers you that much?" He asked finally.

Katlin turned her attention to the sheets as she folded her hands over them, tightly clasp together. "I know what it is to lose your parents as a young child, Orion. I remember how frightened I was. Not knowing what was going to happen to me. If it hadn't been for Voldemort, I don't know how I would have survived. How I would have dealt with things. It was so much help having someone there. Someone who cared. Who looked after me. Who knew what to do, even if at times it was just to listen. Someone who made me feel safe again."

Orion sighed as he scooted down in the bed and pulled the covers up around him. "Love, they'll be all right. Now please, can we try to get some sleep? I have to be in early tomorrow."

Katlin turned to him. "You didn't mention anything about going in early."

"I forgot." Orion replied, rolling over in the bed. "Meeting. Probably boring. Hopefully short."

Katlin sighed again as she reached over and shut off the light. Scooting down in the bed, she now turned her attention from the wall to the ceiling, eventually falling asleep to Orion's persistent snores.

**Q&A **

CelticHeiressFiona:

**Awesome chapter!! Well, they do get things done quickly. All five in one swoop. Hmm. Kidding, but really it was great for Katlin to face her fear like that, even if she is deathly afraid of it still. Again, great chapter! **

An awesome undertaking to be sure. To go from a carefree, childfree, livingfree lifestyle to suddenly having to get up at dawn to make sure everyone's off to their proper location by eight and doing head counts on weekends is going to be a serious change. Not to mention someone having to go from a small, sleek roadster to a minivan.

She showed a tremendous amount of character, Dear. But honestly, what else could she have done? When you consider what she was given, her fear balanced against something that she treasured above her own life (a child), there really was only one choice for her.

Silverfox:

**Hm ... Is anybody taking bets on how much longer until posting fic will be forbidden on this site yet? As far as I'm concerned I'm not going to edit my files especially for I'll continue to post the same content here as on every other site. considers creating additional identity to transfer author alert subscriptions to  
Of course I remember Orin Bale! What a question!  
Glad to see you back. :)**

Well, I don't know about you, but my bookie has me in for fifty bucks, three years!

Well, what can I say? You gotz balls, Dear. Maybe one day I will be backed into such a nameless, faceless corner of anonymousness that I will look for another site. Or I can grasp onto one last shred of hope that FFN will see the error in this and rescind their strangle hold on their authors a little bit.

Well, I'm never really sure about secondary characters, Dear. And he didn't have the role in Family Relations that he will in Family Ties. In fact, readers haven't even seen the half of Mr. Black's enigmatic boss. As I continue to develop his character, Orin is rapidly slipping into second place as my favorite character (Of course, no one can take first place away from Bo.).

Thank you, Dear, and nice to have you back for this story. Always love returning readers!

Heksie:

Thank you, Dear. Let's hope it continues.

All reviews are as of 11/18/2007.

And remember;

'Because I said so' is a perfectly good reason.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving, folks.

And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: It's Mine! ALL MINE!!!!!!

Except anything related to or in association with the Harry Potter Trademark. Such properties belong to J.K. 'I just couldn't keep it to myself' Rowling and her 'who cares if it sells more books' publishers.

**CHAPTER THREE: THE PERFECT SOLUTION**

Without any work of her own to attend to at the lair, Katlin spent her day about the house, trying to find things to occupy her time as well as her mind. But her thoughts stubbornly kept coming back to the five children that she couldn't seem to forget. By the time Orion arrived home later in the evening than usual she had managed to get herself quite depressed over the whole matter. A mood not shared by her husband as he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the kitchen as soon as he apparated in the foyer.

"Orion, I'm really not in the mood..." Katlin protested as he seated her at the table, sure he was ready to barrage her with some plans for the evening he had arranged.

"You're in the mood for this." He stated with a touch of excitement in his voice. "I'd bet everything we own on it."

Katlin's agitation switched to curiosity as she tilted her head slightly to the side. "For what?" She asked.

Orion sat in the chair cattycornered to her's at the table and took one of her hands in his.

"I stopped by the Ministry today." He started, none of the excitement leaving his voice. "To see what had become of the children."

Katlin's own interest quickly picked up at the mention of her favorite subject of the past two days. "How are they?" She asked quickly, her own excitement coming into her voice along with her mounting concern. "Are they all right? Did you see them?"

Orion waved her down. "I didn't see them, Love." He informed a suddenly disappointed looking Katlin. "They're at the agency home. But I was told they were doing well and the agency is determined to do everything they can to place all five of them together."

Katlin was sure Orion's declaration was simply meant to reassure her, and she did her best to show some appreciation for his efforts by rewarding him with a small, albeit half-hearted smile. "Well, at least they're trying." She replied softly, trying to hide her feelings about the children's plight.

"Maybe they won't have to try much longer."

Katlin lifted her head again, looking at her husband. "What do you mean?"

Orion took her hand again and gently rubbed it between his as he fixed a serious stare on her. "Katlin, I didn't just go down there to check on the children. I did some inquiring."

"About what?" Katlin asked, genuinely confused as to what Orion was getting at.

Orion gave her a wide smile as he held her stare. "Love, what if we adopted them?"

Katlin sat in stunned silence, staring at her husband. "What?" She asked quietly, not sure she had heard him right.

"What if we apply to adopt them? All five of them."

"All..." Katlin's voice failed her as the idea settled in. "All five? You mean it? You want to adopt them?"

Orion gave her a happy nod.

Katlin paused as the idea settled in a bit more. "But...all five...at once."

"Well, we always talked about having a lot of kids, Katlin. Here's our chance. We can easily support them. They'll be well taken care of. And this way they all stay together."

Katlin's eyes were still as wide as when Orion had first presented the idea to her. "But five?"

Orion paused, but his smile never wavered. "The decision is up to you, Love." He told her. "I've cast my vote. I say we should do it. It would be the best thing for everyone. Us, as well as those five kids."

"Five?" Katlin repeated breathlessly.

"You won't be alone, Katlin." He promised her. "I mean, I'll be a part of it as well, you know. And Bo will love this. We can let him baby-sit from time to time. He'll absolutely trill an Aria he'll be so happy."

Katlin still looked stunned. "I..."

"I'll tell you what." Orion said. "I sort of sprung this on you, I know. So, you sleep on it, all right? And we can talk about it in the morning."

Katlin seemed to suddenly snap out of her stupor as she turned back to him with a questioning stare. "You really want to do this?" She asked.

Orion gave her a wide smile again. "I think this is the best thing we'll ever do, Love. We can give them the safe, stable home they need, with two people who will take care of them and love them as much as possible."

Katlin held firmly onto his gaze. "But Orion, I'm a Deatheater. And an Elite at that. I doubt any agency in the wizarding world would be lining up to hand five children over to us to raise."

Orion gave her an encouraging smile. "What? You put that on all your applications? No wonder you never get any other jobs." He replied half seriously.

"Orion..."

But he quickly cut her off. "Katlin, when has that been an issue before? It's not common knowledge, you're not on file down at the Ministry office...well, at least my wife isn't, and even though the file on Katlin Griss is taller than Bo, no one has any clue what you look like. I could invite the Minister to dinner tomorrow night and he would have no idea who he was dining with. It won't be a problem."

"What if someone finds out?"

"Love, everyone who needs to know, knows. And those who do work very hard to make sure no one else does. It will not be an issue."

Katlin sat for several minutes thinking over her decision, but finally she returned his smile, taking hold of his hands in both of her's. "I don't need to think about it, Orion." She answered. "I think it's a wonderful idea."

"You do?"

Katlin nodded. "Like you said, I think it's the best thing we could do."

**Q&A**

Silverfox:

**So happy to still have Q&A! wags tail  
And I see that this site now makes it impossible to mention its own name even in short form ... I'm already on three other sites. This one just has the most readers and the comfy AuthorAlert. I'll grumble about getting kicked off, but I'll survive.  
Ah, who could ever beat Bo? He's such a loveable and unique character. (And I still haven't found one under my bed. I might have to start regularly searching the basement.)  
I wouldn't miss this fic for the world. I've been wondering about the origin of the kids forever. (Besides there's Bo, there's Orin and I just love your writing.)  
And I just want to hug Katlin and the children right now. Poor little orphans. I hope Orion realises what he has to do.**

And I'm happy to still be doing it, Dear.

I did notice that you can't even seem to put in the site's initials and get it to show up in final download. I have no idea what the issue is.

I would be disappointed if I got kicked off of the site, but like you, I would survive and move on to another. But my stories do well and bring in readers and possibly inspire others to write as well, so I hope they would not do that. But you never know.

True, so true. And do try the basement, Dear. That is, after all, where Orion's boggart lives. And he does seem to prefer it to anywhere else.

If you like Orin's character, Dear, be sure to join me for Family Ties. His character figures prominently in that story. (And of course, Bo.)

I am very happy you are enjoying the story, Dear, and looking forward to the rest of it. Katlin has some very hard choices ahead of her. She knows taking on five children will not be easy, and a lot of adjustments will need to be made on both sides.

Orion's well on his way to making the right decisions, Dear.

All reviews are as of 11/26/2007.

And remember;

Yeah, I'm old. (But at least I made it.)

CelticHeiressFiona:

Thank you so much, Dear. You certainly made my day brighter with that review.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Folks, I have learned something NEW!

I did not know until this week that FFN (now referred to as 'the site' since their download program for some reason erases any reference to them personally) allows replies to reviews.

This does not mean I am doing away with Q&A just yet. I'll have to see how this new setup works. And some of your questions others can benefit from the answers to. But general questions I will answer through this new medium. Such as things related to if a story is completed, does it have a sequel, or, if based on the content of some previous chapter, have I completely lost my mind.

And as always,

Enjoy.

**Disclaimer**: Of course it's freakin' mine! Except any and all parts that relate to anything regarding Harry Potter or any related material, JK Rowling, or her publishers.

**CHAPTER FOUR: ADDING TO THE FAMILY**

Whatever Katlin was expecting in introducing five children into the household, it was a lot less than she got.

Getting the agency's permission to bring the children home had been, in Orion's words, 'a cinch'. The case worker the children had been assigned to seemed to Katlin to be far too eager to unload her biggest case on someone else, barely seeming to ask even half the questions Katlin was sure they would to be sure the children were going somewhere safe and supportive. But she softened her anger at the seeming lack of proper safe guards with two facts. One; Orion was well known as an Unspeakable and it was likely his reputation preceded them into the office. And two; the road to their getting the children out of the hands of what she still felt was an over-burdened, uncaring government agency went that much quicker.

There had also been the question of family connections. Again, Orion's family associations worked for him. Both of his parents were well known Aurors, which seemed to overshadow his younger brother's questionable past.

But when the questions turned to Katlin, she was sure she was kissing the adoption goodbye, even on a temporary basis. But again, the caseworker's eagerness to get rid of five children in one afternoon seemed to hold the most precedence.

For answers dealing with her, Orion had suggested they keep things as simple as possible. Katlin gave truthful, if not highly abbreviated, answers to any questions about her own family, pulling hard on the sympathy line as Orion had suggested. Make it look like an uncomfortable subject and people won't get too personal, he had told her.

Well, that hadn't been hard to do. Talking about her parents was an uncomfortable, if not painful, subject for her. So she stuck to the facts. She gave her parents names, stated that they had died when she was a young child in a fire, and that was that. Now married, she could easily use her married name, and listed her maiden name as Hekren. That was easy enough for them to check out and verify the facts she had given them.

The name 'Griss', which she had used for better than half her life, was never mentioned during any of the interviews.

And as the days moved past, keeping all the facts firmly arranged in her mind, Katlin began to see hope that this was going to work. That they would be awarded custody of the children, if only temporarily.

In her opinion the children had been through a lifetime of grief and pain already, and what they needed most was a stable, caring home with two people willing to give them all the love and support they would need.

Getting them home was a near silent affair. Katlin tried to use the trip as an information gathering exercise, trying to get each of the children to tell her something about themselves as Orion drove. They had already been informed of the necessities. Each child's name and age. During that phase of the proceedings, for some reason, the caseworker had chosen to start at the youngest. But as soon as she stated the child's name, which was Katy, Orion had fixed a stare on his wife and flatly stated that if any of the other names even started with the letter 'O', they were changing it.

But what Katlin was able to learn from the reticent group during the drive to their new home was painfully little.

The oldest of the five was Thomas, who, at the tender age of 14, had clearly taken on himself sole responsibility for his siblings. Astute and serious, Katlin could hardly get a word out of him about himself, and it soon became clear that he also tried to direct the others in their answers with a look or sharp nudge.

For whatever reason, Katlin got the distinct impression the teenager didn't like her on sight, and was bound and determined to keep her at arms length not only from him, but from his siblings as well.

Next came the oldest girl, Lucy, who, at 12 was all a teenaged girl should be. Asserting her independence, she sternly rallied against her older brother's attempts to refuse to answer questions. But still, she kept them short and to the point, offering nothing freely.

Third came the next boy, Justin, 11. From the moment she had met him, Katlin was sure this was the one that would keep her up nights. Despite Thomas' best efforts to rein him in, the boy had an inner velocity meter that Katlin was sure went right off the scale. Full of energy that was barely disguised under his best attempts to subdue it under his older brother's watchful and disapproving stare.

Next came the last boy, Vincent, 6. Katlin was fairly sure that a fire lit under him would barely get more than a mild statement of discomfort. From the moment she had met him, the boy had had his face buried in a book. Katlin had tried to engage him in conversation by asking about it, but he had proved as reticent as his older brother, giving only answers that required the fewest words possible.

The last of the group Katlin learned about from what little the others would divulge about her. But at less than a year old, she certainly didn't expect little Katy to answer any questions. Small in size, Katlin thought the girl didn't even look half her actual age.

Currently the child was wrapped in a fresh blanket, snuggled up against Katlin as the child sought out her warmth. Of all five, this was honestly the only one Katlin felt any approval from.

The other four, from the moment they met her, seemed to have instantly judged her and found her seriously wanting in their opinion. But she tried to sooth her feelings under the understanding that she certainly couldn't expect four children to instantly forget their real parents and simply slip a new set into place, showering them with the same love and affection.

With a quiet, resigned sigh, Katlin told herself again to give things time. This was, after all, currently only a temporary placement. Maybe trying to form a lasting bond with the five wasn't a good idea until things were more permanent. After all, what would happen if the agency decided not to allow them to adopt the children and they were taken away? It simply set them up for more pain and upset in their lives.

As soon as the car came to a halt in front of the house, Thomas barreled out of the car and quickly got the other three out with equal speed. Orion was on his way around the front of the car to help Katlin out when Thomas opened the door and in cool but relaxed manner took Katy out of Katlin's arms.

As soon as she was out of the car herself she half expected the teenager to return the child to her, but found instead that he had already passed the sleeping child off to her older sister. With another quiet sigh she let the matter go. There was no point now in pressing minor issues, and if being close made them feel safer, so be it.

Pausing momentarily as he walked around the car, Orion turned his gaze to the house. Even coming up the drive he had felt it. Wave after wave of pure, unadulterated excitement that was practically knocking him back in its enthusiasm

Bo.

When Orion had first brought the subject up with his enigmatic boggart, Bo had practically smothered his Channeler in his enthusiastic approval of adding to the family. But that was much as Orion had suspected.

Or at least as he thought he had understood.

To Orion's view, Bo simply loved new things. And here he was going to be introduced to five new things all at once. It must have felt like Christmas coming early to the boggart. And Orion couldn't fault his friend for being excited.

But what was he even doing here? Despite his enthusiasm, Orion had strictly told him he was to stay with his parents until the children were well settled. Maybe in a week or two he could make a passing visit to the house to check out the new arrivals. Come as an owl or so and just look them over. Any more formal introductions would just have to wait until later.

Much later.

The children were likely already on edge. Introducing them to a boggart and trying to make them understand that Bo was a member of their new family and they were not to try and dis-spell him might be a bit much to lay on them all at once. Orion felt it would be much better to make the introductions slowly. Starting with trying to curb some of Bo's enthusiasm by clandestinely getting the boggart use to the children being around before he tried to get the children use to having a boggart around.

But apparently someone had not understood the instructions, or, as Orion more firmly believed, had simply chosen to engage in a little selective reasoning.

Well, he would deal with his errant boggart later. The more pressing matter was the children.

"All right," Orion stated, taking control of the introductions of children to house, "you will find there's plenty of rooms inside, but for the moment you've all been set up in one room."

"One room!" An anguished cry came from the group.

Orion quickly turned to the oldest girl.

"I can't share a room with BOYS!" She cried. "I had my own room back at our..." but her sentence slowly trailed off, as though she suddenly saw where it was going and had no wish to complete the journey.

Katlin turned a commiserating gaze towards her. "It's all right, Lucy." She offered kindly. "We can find you a room to yourself if you like."

But Thomas quickly took over the situation, turning a heated stare to his oldest sister. "We stay together." He stated in a tone that tolerated no room for arguments. "In fact," he stated in the same, formidable tone as he turned to face who Orion was sure the teenager saw as his only serious competition for control, "we're not going anywhere until we get some questions answered."

'Time to act like a parent.' Orion strictly told himself, trying to dreg up every such teenage confrontation he had ever had with his own father. "All right." He agreed with just the smallest touch of authority in his own tone. "Ask."

The boy faced him straight on, not flinching or backing down in the least. "How long are we suppose to stay here?"

"We don't know the answer to that." Orion answered truthfully.

"That is not an acceptable answer." Came the blunt reply.

Orion was sure his eyebrows shot straight to his hairline. "Excuse me?"

"We ask for answers."

"Well, unfortunately, that's the only one I have for you." Orion stated, willing himself to stay calm.

But before the very first fight could get up any real steam, Katlin quickly interjected herself between the two.

"We're hoping the situation will be permanent, Thomas." She offered in a kind, but even tone. "But that will be up to the agency to decide. For now, you'll be staying here."

"Because no one else wanted us." The boy spat back at her.

"Well, there's a big surprise." Orion stated, staring down at the teenager.

"So why do you?" Thomas stated, doing his best to ignore Katlin as he looked around her and met his other new caretaker's stare.

"We 'wanted you'," Katlin quickly put in, "because we very much would like to give you and your brothers and sisters a home. A 'permanent' home, if the agency will let us."

The boy took a noticeable step back, as thought Katlin had just threatened him with Azkaban. "Here?!" He stated. A hand quickly darted to the boy's coat pocket and came out with a small but very sturdy, and well-used looking, pinewood wand.

"We're not staying here!" He stated firmly.

**Q&A**

MasterLupin:

**Hmm... I was wondering when Katlin had time to be pregnent with 5 kids and be an elite and not let anyone on to it. But adoption makes a lot more sence. Looking forward to your next post, hope you had a nice thanksgiving.**

Well, seeing as she and Orion have only been married 14 some-odd years and their oldest child at the time of Family Relations was 16, and with no mention of previous pregnancies during the marriage...yup, adoption stood to be the safest assumption.

Silverfox:

**Don't you have to fill in your parents' names when applying to adopt? I guess Katlin could just state that she was an orphan herself and her parents were unknown, but then wouldn't she be asked who her adoptive parents were or what orphanage she grew up in?  
nods We have a very comfortable basement, with a TV and bathroom, but also a nice dusty storage room. Should have everything a bogart needs.  
And of course I'll be there for Family Ties. I'm not planning on missing any of your fics.**

I'd like to say that I was cute and clever and had all of this information in the original draft and already had it covered.

I'd also like to say I won the Florida Lottery this week, but that ain't happenin' either, folks.

Ya' brought up a good point, Fox, and so I added it into the final draft. Credit where credit is due. The idea of covering Katlin's identity in this chapter is yours.

So glad you'll be around, Dear. You give very good reviews. And on occasion, I learn something I missed.

CelticHeiressFiona:

**You're welcome! And you are absolutely awesome. I love this chapter. Orion's all "Hey, we can take the kids!" Love it! I think this is so adorable. I love this fic. **

You just make my day sometimes, Fiona. If I'm ever down, I just go read your reviews. They always make me feel better.

All reviews are as of 12/02/2007

And remember;

The National Sarcasm Society.

Like we need your support!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Just a brief note, folks. On December 17th I might be going in for surgery on my right hand. Possible delays.

And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Except for the parts that aren't, it's all mine. How's that for a disclaimer?

**CHAPTER FIVE: GETTING SETTLED**

Orion stared down at the wand with quiet authority.

"I'm sure," he stated slowly, "that there's a perfectly decent, logical, and possibly even interesting reason you feel that way. But right at the moment," he added, holding up his hand, "I'm having a bugger of a time caring what it is."

The wand was retched out of the boy's hand and deftly flew into Orion's waiting one. Holding the boy's stare, Orion tucked the wand into his own jacket pocket. "You'll get that back when you learn to show more respect for it." He added.

The boy seemed ready to physically launch himself at the older man when a sudden burst of black fur came bolting through the doors at the top of the stairs and headed right for the gathering.

Orion turned instantly towards the commotion, his eyes wide. "Bo! No!"

He braced himself to take the hit, but nearly fell backwards in surprise when all he got from the bounding canine was a slap in the face from it's bushy tail as it went sailing past him.

"Thomas!" An excited voice squealed. "They have a DOG!"

Two other voices quickly joined in the excitement as Orion turned to the scene.

Two pairs of hands were all trying to grab hold of the dog's shaggy coat while he did a masterful job of avoiding them. Squeals of delight answered the impromptu game of catch as the two younger boys managed brief contact with the large black target that bounced and bounded around them with equal excitement. Even small Katy seemed to take an interest in the commotion as, still in her sister's arms, she leaned over her blanket to took a look.

Katlin slid up next to her husband, who was surveying the scene with a slightly amused grin.

"Amazing, isn't it?" She ask.

Orion turned a questioning stare to her.

"That one, non-communicative, shaggy, four legged boggart could do what two reasonable, intelligent adults couldn't?"

"Oh, I think he's communicating just fine." Orion answered, turning his stare to the still sullen boy standing off to the sidelines of the game. "With everyone except one."

Walking over to where Thomas stood watching the game with a deep frown, Orion turned to the boy.

"Don't care for dogs?"

"Dogs are fine." Came the stoic answer.

"You're siblings seem to like dogs just fine." Orion offered, still watching the game, which had lost none of its enthusiasm. If anything, Bo seemed to have gotten even more into the spirit of it as he would bait his would-be captors into an attack, only to dodge them and run out of reach again.

"The others don't understand." Came the short, curt response.

Orion turned to the boy. "Understand what?"

Thomas returned his stare. "What's going on here. But I do. And I know what you're doing. I know what you're up to, and I won't be taken in."

Orion couldn't have been more surprised by the answer if the boy had taken a swing at him.

"I don't know what you think is 'going on here'," he answered, "but the only 'taking in' that's being done is my wife and I giving five children a roof over their heads, food on the table, and an ear to listen if they care to use it. And a dog." He added quickly. "Now past any of that, why don't you enlighten me and tell me what's 'going on'?"

The boy stared up at him in a sideways fashion. "You're either incredibly stupid, or you think I am." He replied, then turned his attention solidly back to the game.

Orion sighed quietly, then turned to the game-players.

"Bo!" He called out. "That's enough! In the house."

A chorus of 'Awwwww''s greeted the decree, but the boggart obediently came prancing back towards the house, a smiling Justin clinging tightly to his long, shaggy tail, just letting go when the dog got closer to Orion.

"And you and I are going to have one serious talk about rules, Mr. Family Pet." Orion told the dog as he walked past him.

Bo turned to his channeler and quickly jumped up, instantly launching into a face bath.

Orion pushed him back. "Oh no! You're not kissing your way out of this one, buddy. In the house."

The dog backed down and trotted off into the house, the threat of a lecture, Orion was sure, already forgotten.

"All right now," Orion stated as the group reassembled in front of him, "that, as you have seen, is the family pet, Bo. My advice is not to be taken in by first impressions. Bo is as sneaky a devil as ever there was and trust me, is not to be."

The children gave him an incredulous look.

"Now," Orion went on, "here's what we'll do. The three boy's can share the original room."

"Lucy's not staying on her own!" Thomas spoke up quickly, laying down his own law.

"Lucy," Orion stated, giving the boy a warning stare, "will go into the adjoining room and will keep Katy in there with her."

Orion wasn't sure how the teenage girl would accept the news, but to his surprise she simply gave a small nod to it.

"All right then, with that settled," Orion added, "Katlin will show you to the rooms while I get the luggage brought in."

Getting the boys settled was a matter of showing them the room. From there Thomas instantly took over and began issuing orders as to who would sleep where and what the routine would be. Katlin simply took what she felt at the time was the best course and just left him to it.

Opening the door between the rooms, Katlin felt this was a better way to introduce Lucy to her room rather than taking her out the main door and down the hall to the other room's own door. This way, Thomas could keep that ever vigilant eye on everyone.

"Yours and Katy's room is right through here, Lucy." Katlin said, walking in first and letting the girl follow in her own time. Not to her surprise, Thomas followed them in, giving the room a quick once over.

"It's perfectly fine, Thomas." Lucy stated empirically as she turned to see him standing in the doorway still. "Go take care of Jus and Vince. I can see to Katy all by myself. You don't need to stand guard duty."

The boy gave her a look that spoke volumes before turning his warning gaze briefly to Katlin before backing out of the room, leaving the door open between the rooms.

Whatever his intentions to monitor the proceedings, they were quickly put to route when Lucy went over to the door and slammed it shut.

Katlin's first instinct was to find out what the brief confrontation was all about, but backed off, trying for something more non-threatening to start with.

"So, how do you like the room?" She ask.

Lucy seemed to give the room her attention for the first time. "It's all right." She stated.

Katlin tried to remind herself that coming from a disgruntled, frightened, unhappy teenager girl, that was likely high praise indeed.

"Do you think your brother's liked theirs?" Questions were always a good way to get the conversational ball rolling. And talking was how you learned things.

Katlin sat herself on the bed, letting the girl know she wasn't interested in rushing off if she wanted to talk.

"Boys are easy." Came the reply. "At least that's what Mum always sa..." But the sentence died off as the girl suddenly gave the room her undivided attention.

"It's all right to talk about your parents, Lucy." Katlin said softly. "And I'm here to listen if you ever need someone to talk to."

The girl turned back to her, her rock hard facade slipping just a little as she seemed to consider the offer. But any meaningful conversation was cut short before it even began. The door banged open again and Thomas positioned himself in the doorway.

"That guy's brought our bags up, Lucy." He announced.

Katlin was back on her feet in a second. Kid-glove handling aside, this boy needed to learn some manners.

"Thomas," she stated slowly, "'that guy', has a name. And in your specific place in this household right now, that name is 'Mr. Black' or 'Orion', whichever you prefer. But while you are here, you will show him that respect."

She didn't leave the matter open for discussion. And the boy seemed to sense that. "Yes, ma'am." He answered so stiffly Katlin was sure she could have cut herself on the edge that answer had in it.

"You can bring your sister's bags in here, if you'd be so kind. Ladies shouldn't be ask to carry heavy things if a man is about." She added with a good deal less authority in her tone, hoping to put the incident quickly behind them.

But the boy seemed to have no such interest. He disappeared into the other room, reappearing only seconds later with a suitcase, which he deposited on the bed right next to Katlin, holding her stare for a few seconds before stepping back and turning to his sister.

'Well, that told me.' Katlin thought to herself, barely able to hold her smile in check as the boy did his best to show he wasn't backing down to her.

With only the same warning glance at his sister, Thomas departed just as silently as he came, leaving the door, once again, open between the rooms.

And with just as much flourish, Lucy walked over and slammed it shut after him.

Katlin sighed inwardly. The boy wasn't very fast on the uptake with all this. The more he pushed his oldest sister, the more she pushed back. Why couldn't he see a gentler touch was in order here?

'Because he's only 14', a little voice replied, reminding her that Lucy herself was only a teenage girl having to handle a very adult situation.

Katlin sat in silence for a few minutes as she patiently watched the girl purposefully march back over to the bed, open the suitcase, and start unpacking her things.

"I can help if you'd like." She offered casually.

That met with an equally casual, but firm "Nope. I'm fine."

All right, try something else.

"Katy seems very nice." She offered.

Lucy went on with her chore with single minded efficiency. "She's all right...for a baby."

"How long has she been your sister?"

That caused the girl to look up, just as Katlin had hoped. Break the concentration on the task. That was her goal.

"How long?" Lucy ask. "She's my 'sister'. And she has been since she was born."

Katlin gave her a small smile. "It was a joke, Lucy." She explained, which was only a small lie.

The girl blinked once, then turned back to her unpacking. "Oh." was her only comment.

"Your brother seems very..."

"Dictorial?" The girl readily enough supplied as Katlin left the sentence hanging. "That's Thomas for you. Tell everyone what to do and just how to do it."

"I thought 'protective' was a better description." Katlin offered kindly.

"That's because you don't live with him and you're trying to make a good impression." The girl replied firmly.

Katlin offered her a small smile in return. "Too much to ask how I'm doing?"

The teenager seemed to take the question very seriously as she studied the woman in front of her. But just as abruptly as she had stopped, the girl went back to her task. "Too early." She announced simply.

Katlin nodded slightly, even though Lucy didn't see her. The girl was direct. That was good. She could deal with direct.

On the bed the littlest one began to fuss.

Katlin quickly turned to her. "What's the matter, sweetheart?" She cooed at the baby. "Are we ignoring you too long?"

Lucy was there in a shot, scooping the child off the bed and beginning to rock her. "She's just fussy." She stated, rocking the child a bit faster. "New place. New people. Babies are like that with too many new things."

Katlin let the action go for a few more seconds, then carefully lifted her arms. "If you'll let me," she offered, "I can show you a good way to calm her down."

The girl looked as though Katlin had just offered to take her sister off to feed her to loins. But the look slowly softened as she appeared to consider the offer, then she very slowly laid the child in Katlin's waiting arms.

Katlin carefully cradled the baby to her body, making sure it touched in as many place as she could let it.

"You're right about new things." She told the teenager. "Babies are easily upset by new things. The trick," she added, glancing up at Lucy with a small smile, "is to let them know you're confident and not afraid. They can sense that, and in turn, it calms them down. The second trick," she went on, "is to surround them with warmth. To a baby, warm equals safe."

The teenager studied her with a questioning look. "How do you know so much about babies?" She ask. "You don't have any children, do you? The caseworker said you didn't."

Katlin turned her face back to the girl. "No." She answered softly. "My husband and I have no children. But we wanted them very badly. And a few years ago I did become pregnant, or so we thought."

"Thought?"

"It wasn't a baby." Katlin explained quietly. "It was a tumor. And when it was removed, we were told I couldn't have any children of my own. But before we knew that," she added quickly, drawing herself out of the still sad memory, "Orion and I read every baby book on the market, determined to be the best parents any child ever had."

Lucy studied her for a moment. "But you never got the chance." She stated simply.

Katlin looked up at her from once again cooing at the baby in her arms. "Well, not yet." She replied with a smile.

**Q&A**

MasterLupin:

**Thomas dosen't know what he is in for. I bet Orion will simply talk him out of doing anything stupid while makeing him feel quite the fool. Or will there be a battle and mutual respect gained from it. OH better yet, Bo rushes out of the house and confuses everybody.**

(Checking computer) Nope. Still no internet connection, so there was no hacking going on. Locks on the doors are all secure, no break-ins, story disks are all still in their places...nope, no idea here how you seem to know exactly where I'm headed sometimes, Lup, but ya' nailed this one pretty good.

I'll have to try harder next time.

Silverfox:

**gulp "Please confirm what user you're changing the password for" All I was trying to do was log in! I just hope it's just the wrong text ... This place gets scarier every time I visit.  
Ah yes, lazy, uncaring, overworked ministry. I think I've used that as an excuse somewhere as well. Easy and realistic.  
I can't wait until the kids actually meet Bo. ... Wonder what they find wrong with the house, though. It sounds like a nice enough place to live. (Then again, they haven't seen the bogart, yet.)**

Fox, you saound like you're having a rough time with old FFN! My current problem is with their new 'enter the words above' thing, where you need a de-scrabbler just to read what those words are suppose to be!

Having worked for DCF, I know the feeling.

Actually, you might be surprised in the next chapter of the reaction one of the kids has to Bo. Not what you expect, I'm sure. And the current meeting can't really be held up to scrutiny because they are not meeting 'Bo'. They're meeting a dog, who's a lot of fun.

The house thing isn't as convoluted as it sounds. But to understand it you have to get to the next chapter first, which explains a bit better where Thomas is coming from with his whole negative attitude about the situation.

CelticHeiressFiona:

**Aw. Thanks! I'm glad to be of service. Hee hee. Well Thomas is a feisty one. The whole bunch really, but who can blame them? Though, I don't know how much he thought his possible plan through. But kudos to him for trying! Awesome chapter! I love it. **

I think after this chapter you can add Lucy to the 'feisty' category. In fact, I think she basically slapped her brother upside the head and took the trophy away from him.

But Thomas isn't so much feisty as he just has a real negative attitude about the whole situation that isn't going to go away any time soon.

In fact, before it gets better, it's going to get a whole lot worse.

Heksie:  
**what a cliffhanger - hope you do an update soon...**

Thank you, Dear. And I do try to post every Sunday night, EST.

All reviews are as of 12/09/2007.

And remember;

Work for God.

The retirement benefits are great!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: For those of you that are interested, the surgery went very well, but my hand hurts like crazy.

And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Suing me would be the most unproductive thing you will do this year. And since this is December, that's saying something. Also, because I claim none of this past the originality of the story line and all my own characters outside of the Harry Potter series.

**CHAPTER SIX: UNMASKED**

Before Katlin could get into anything more with Lucy, a large furry object bounded into the room.

Lucy squealed quietly with delight, apparently not wanting to alert her brothers to her visitor.

"Ohhhhh!" She cried happily. "It's Bo! I didn't get to play with him before. I had to hold Katy."

Not so encumbered now, Lucy quickly knelt down and gave the shaggy neck a good squeeze.

"Ohhhhh! I LOVE dogs!" She stated in the same hushed but excited voice. "You're so lucky to have one!"

The large dog subjected itself to a lot of hugging and petting before extracting itself from all the touching and ambled over to Katlin, where it promptly took her sleeve in its mouth and gave a sharp pull.

Katlin allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. "I think he must want his lunch." She improvised, sensing Bo wasn't taking 'no' for an answer. Whatever it was the boggart actually wanted, he wanted it now.

Katlin allowed herself to be led to the door before she stopped, turning back to Lucy. "Finish unpacking, then see if your brothers are ready for something to eat." She instructed as Bo continued to pull at her sleeve. "If so, just come downstairs and the kitchen is to your left." And with that Katlin found herself yanked out the door.

Just as the two past by it, the door to the boys' room silently opened. Having heard the commotion in his sisters' room, Thomas was curious as to what was going on. What he didn't expect was what he saw.

Just having passed by when the door opened, Katlin was being all but dragged down the corridor by the large shaggy dog called Bo.

"All right. All right." Katlin stated, walking after Bo after he finally let go of her sleeve. "I can see this is important. What's wrong?"

But the boggart didn't stop until they reached the top of the stairs, further away from the children's rooms.

Still leaning around the corner of the doorway, Thomas watched as, without a step out of place, the shaggy black dog transformed into a tall, man shaped figure completely covered in long, black robes, including his hands and face, who quickly began gesturing to Katlin, all of which she watched with apparent interest and understanding.

"But you knew all of this!" She stated in reply to his gestures. "You knew they were coming here."

Thomas didn't wait to see more. He quickly pulled himself back into the room, nearly bumping into Justin right behind him.

"What are you looking at?" Justin ask, trying to see around his older brother.

Thomas took a quick breath, steeling himself up to handle things as usual. "Nothing. Are you done unpacking?"

"Yes."

"What about Vincent?"

"Vincent's done too."

"Then check on Lucy. See how she's getting along with Katy."

"Thomas, I'm hungry." Came the wail from his youngest brother across the room.

Just then the door between the rooms opened and Lucy marched into the room. "Katlin said when we were done unpacking to come downstairs and we could have something to eat." She announced.

Thomas stood stark still in the room as his siblings clamored past him.

He knew what he had seen. It was all too obvious. The dog was an animagus. And in his real form he was a man dressed in long black robes.

Great magic! How quickly all the pieces were falling into place now!

He thought he had known what was going on. What the game plan was with these two. The other kids at the home where they had stayed had told him about couples that took kids in for a variety of reasons.

Mostly for the money, he'd been told.

Well these two obviously didn't need the money.

There was also the 'presentation'. Showing off to your friends and the community what do-gooders you were to take in a bunch of orphans, only to ditch them when you got bored with the whole thing.

A few took kids in and abused them until the agency found out, then took the kids away again.

But these two...he had thought they fell into the 'presentation' category. But apparently he had been wrong. Their plans, or at least the woman's, appeared to be much more sinister. And if she thought he was just some dumb kid who didn't know about things, she was in for a surprise. Especially after what he had just seen.

Thomas remembered shortly after the attack on the house, Aurors had come from the Ministry and interviewed all of them. Asking them what they remembered and having them describe their attackers in as much detail as they could.

Thomas remembered sitting outside the door where two of the Aurors were talking about what they had learned from the children, about the evidence at the scene of the attack, and about the people responsible for killing his parents.

Deatheaters. They had repeatedly said the name.

Thomas knew all to well the hated name. Followers of the dark wizard, they were as ruthless as they were bold. Characterized by their dress whenever they staged an attack.

Always wearing long, dark robes.

The man Katlin had been talking to was a Deatheater. And he had talked to her using some sort of code. One she was obviously familiar with.

And she wasn't frightened of him, or surprised to see him transform, so she must have known who and what he was.

"Thomas!" Lucy's voice broke into his thoughts. "Are you coming?"

Thomas quickly headed out the door. More than ever, he had to keep an eye on his siblings. If the man talking to Katlin was a Deatheater, and she obviously knew him, she must be one too.

Thomas quickly wondered if her husband knew. Or was he also a part of it?

And what had Katlin been talking about to the man in the long dark robes? Her responses to his comments appeared to indicate he was surprised to see the children in the house. But Katlin had said he knew to expect them.

Maybe they had come too soon? But for what? And what were the two planning? Were he and his siblings in danger?

Thomas thought back again to what he had heard in the agency about the attack. The conversation he had overheard indicated that the Ministry knew about the attack.

As well as did they know who was responsible.

Did the Ministry know the adoption agency had likely just placed them into the hands of a Deatheater and her accomplice?

And why? What did the Deatheaters want with them? They had killed their parents? Weren't they the ones they had targeted? The ones they had come for?

But what if that wasn't the end of it? What if the Deatheaters felt they were witnesses? And leaving them alive was a liability they couldn't risk? What if the dark wizard wanted to take them to his lair, and try and force them to join his followers?

Thomas was so wrapped up in his thoughts again that he didn't even hear Lucy again call his name. Snapping out of his thoughts, he realized he had stopped in the middle of the hallway leading to the kitchen where the others already were, and that Lucy was asking him what was taking him so long.

Trying to clamp down his feelings, Thomas entered the kitchen and quickly took a seat with the others, glancing absently at the plate Katlin set before him. But his mind was already moving again as he watched the others dig into the food.

Food!

Thomas quickly looked around again. Each of his siblings, it seemed, was already halfway through whatever the woman had given them. If there was something in the food, it was already too late. The best he could do was remain un-drugged or un-poisoned, or un-whatever she was trying to do to them.

A plan that didn't go un-noticed by the woman.

"Thomas?" She asked a little too sweetly for him. "Aren't you going to eat?"

'Don't agitate her.' He firmly warned himself. 'If she suspects, she'll just think of a different way to do whatever she's trying to do.'

"Not hungry." Came the barely un-surly reply.

"Can I have his?!" Justin called from across the table.

Katlin removed the plate from the table. "You have your own, Justin." Katlin replied. "We'll leave Thomas' in the ice box in case he gets hungry later." She added with a small smile at him.

Thomas firmly resigned to wait and see what effect the food had on the others before eating. All the food, some sort of a stew, had seemed to come out of the same pot on the stove, but that didn't mean she couldn't add something to it later. He'd already learned several good detection spells at school. They could tell him if something had been poisoned.

But just then he remembered, the woman's husband had his wand!

Thomas silently cursed his bad luck to have lost it to the man. He would have to think of a way to get it back. But until he could, he would have to be careful. Only eat things he saw her eat, or sneak food out at night. She couldn't poison everything, and if he snuck down at night she would have no way of knowing what he would eat.

That sounded like a good plan. And with that one solved, he could concentrate on how to get his wand back. Or maybe he could borrow Lucy's? It would be harder to work with, but he had done it before. His dad had said it was a sign of a strong wizard who could make another's wand obey him. And that way he could use magic without the two adults knowing. The woman would think he had no way of checking for things added to their food. He could probably trick her into revealing herself.

OK, that was a better plan. But he still wanted his own wand back. But he would think on that later. For now he had to watch and be alert to whatever the woman did. Which currently was spooning another helping of stew into Justin's bowl and setting it before the younger boy.

"You shouldn't eat so much." Thomas warned him.

Justin regarded his oldest brother for a moment, then shrugged. "It's good, and I'm hungry." Was his simply answer.

"Don't be such a pain, Thomas." Lucy stated from across the table. "He can eat if he wants."

A loud 'Phhhhfttttttttt' from Justin sitting next to her echoed her thoughts.

Thomas just shook his head and turned his stare to the empty place in front of him on the table.

This was going to take a lot of work.

**Q&A**

MasterLupin:

**This was an excellent chapter. Lucy was perfect demonstrations of how all people react when told by another how they should feel and act, she inspires the patriot in us all. I for see that Lucy and Katlin will make the first connection of child and adult in this new living situation. The two younger boys will follow now that they have been able to open up by proxy of the dog; in my experience children can accept a relationship with a small fuzzy things better then with older people in their own species, because small fuzzy things are always there for you and not likely to hurt you. The baby, well all babies are like cats, if you feed them and give them undivided attention when they want it you will have their loyalty. Thomas is a different story, I not sure what he thinks is "going on here", but I sure that it will become evident as the rest of his siblings adjust to their new living arrangement. He probably has some sort of notion that Orion and Katlin are out to 'replace' his original parents.  
As for some constructive criticism, because we all have a cynic in us; near the end of the chapter when you wrote "…to take her sister off to feed her to loins" I believe you meant lions. For as terrifying as the perspective of feeding a baby to a cut of meat is (actually that is rather horrifying to think about) a lion is the more common version of this expression.**

Why thank you, Dear. What a nice opening!

I suppose that yes, Katlin and Lucy have formed some sort of bond, though it is still very tentative. But it's a start.

As for the younger boys following suit, don't underestimate Thomas' influence on his brothers. And don't write it off on Lucy yet either. He has been the 'head of the family' for the past several days. The one the others looked to for guidance in a very confusing time. And its not a position he's likely to give up any time soon.

Ah, small furry things. Kids love them. But children also love large furry things. They're more durable. And Bo probably did a good thing in appearing as a large dog rather than a small one. He was imposing, so he got their attention, but friendly, and, as needed, durable.

Wow! What babies have you been around? My experience with the nast...charming little creatu...thin...'people', has been you feed them and give them attention and they simply want more. Loyalty doesn't come into it. (Same for my cats, by the way.)

What Thomas thinks is 'going on here' was spelled out in this chapter actually. He feels Orion and Katlin just took them in to impress people for the most part, because past that he can not believe anyone would take in five children, most of who are over the age of being cute and cuddly. So there has to be an ulterior motive. And yes, the 'replace' thing also factors in.

Oops! There's the downside to SpellCheck. It doesn't anticipate the word you actually want and how it fits into the context of the sentence. It just cares if its spelled right or not, and since 'loins' and 'lions' are both legitimate words, it didn't correct me. And you know, looking at all the meanings of 'loins' makes that sentence even more frightening, if not incredibly confusing.

CelticHeiressFiona:

**Awesome chapter! Hmm. True Thomas not exactly feisty, more negative and cautious of the situation. But Lucy does seem to handling the situation a bit better than her brother. Again, awesome chapter. I love it! **

She's a female...what can I say?!

But Lucy isn't looking at things the same way as Thomas either. She doesn't see herself as the protector of her siblings, and while she is cautious of the new situation, she's not nearly half as much so as Thomas.

Silverfox:

**Well, the new disclaimer is definitely more practical than the old one. I'm not sure of its legal value, though. ;)  
For just a moment there you had me wondering whether Orion was mistaking Padfoot for Bo. :) Ah, I love that bogart!  
Getting on okay with the 'enter the words above' so far, but I swear the second one I got this time was an old fashioned German blessing. (Which is okay with me, but the site's not supposed to know my first language and what would your average American teenager have made of it?) There's another site, though that uses coloured dots and random letters that just hurt my eyes and no matter how long I stare at some letters I still can't identify them for sure. Luckily I don't really need the place.  
Let's just say my job was at a ministry. My bosses were lawyers. Important possibly legally problematic decision to make? Bosses just happen to be mysteriously required elsewhere and co-workers look expectantly at non-lawyer little me ...  
Yes, sweet as the dog-scene was, the children still haven't met the bogart and they now have a reason to feel deceived when they find out what Bo really is. I'm still eagerly looking forward to both the meeting and the explanation for Thomas' reaction. I don't suppose sitting up and begging in front of your door or making puppy eyes would make you upload the new chapter early?**

Well, they can try suing me. Not sure what they'll get.

Actually, picking Bo's transformation to be a large black dog was just luck of the draw, so to speak. No associations implied. But also remember, Bo tends to only turn into things he's familiar with. And true, one wonders if Orion might have first thought he was looking at his younger brother.

Waitwaitwait!!!!!!!!!! You're telling me English is NOT your native language?!? Wow! I'm seriously impressed! Your command of the English language is better than most English speaking people!

Ohhhh, colors are not good for me. I have enough trouble with the words thing, although that seems to have gone away now and they are back to just a basic login.

Hmmmmm..., sounds like my job, with the exception my bosses are all too happy to make decisions, and if they fall through, then they blame me for having made them, even if I opposed the initial idea.

Well, as for meeting the actual boggart, you saw in this chapter how that went. Poor Thomas got the wrong end of the stick...again. His initial mistake was in his thinking as to why Orion and Katlin took them in. And I think I may have fostered a mistaken idea here with the story. This is not yet an adoption. The Black's are currently only foster parents, more or less, giving the children a place to live and food to eat and 24 hour adult supervision. Which is why they were able to clear the hurdles so quickly to get custody of the children. The actual adoption would take much longer. However, in my defense, Katlin did state this was currently only a temporary situation that they hope to make permanent.

Thomas' reaction to the whole situation was also covered in this chapter and is not nearly as mysterious as it appeared. See MasterLupin's answer for expansion on that issue.

As for the begging, Dear, I want you to know I did really try. I was going to put this up Wednesday last week, but just couldn't get it properly done in time. I was trying to finish up things at the office to cover for my time off, decorate the office for Christmas, plus my parents house and mine, and generally clear my calendar to have everything ready for surgery on 12/17. There was just no way. But I did manage to put this one up earlier than Sunday.

So your begging and puppy eyes did account for something.

ilovesiriusblack:

**Oh how happy was I to find this! I must admit I was a bit confused as to the time setting of this story and where it fits into the whole family universe. I know you said Harry's fourth year but I'm assuming that means Sirius is on the run so what was Katlin thinking when she said he could look after 5 kids? On a happier note, Bo can turn into a big black dog I love him even more now! Size and shape must run in the family. Just throwing a wild theory out there, does Thomas have some idea that Bo isn't a regular dog?  
Love the story cant wait for the next chapter.**

And I am happy to see you back, Dear.

That's after Harry's fourth year in the universe according to PAR, Dear. Therefore, this continues in and around the time of Family Life. Granted, yes, Sirius is still on the run, so to speak, but it's more a public presentation thing now. Most high ranking ministry members and Aurors are of the opinion there's more to the Sirius Black case than meets the eye, and while he is useful to them, they're willing to look the other way.

What was she thinking? Not much past any and everyway she could come up with to get the children out of the hands of an overburdened agency and into a home where they could be properly looked after. Remember, Katlin has been through a similar experience. One she remembers all too well. And she remembers how frightening it was to be alone with no one to rely on, trying to hold your world together as it fell apart around you.

Well, as stated in Silverfox's answer, the choice of Bo's transformation was not planned. It was just the thing I thought of. Also, Bo tends to only turn into things his familiar with. Very, very, very rarely will he ever try anything outside of his immediate sphere of knowledge. For instance, if you say 'Bo, turn yourself into a snake', you'd better dang well have one sitting there at the time for him to look at.

LOVE THAT QUESTION! Especially after this chapter. Poor Thomas, he thinks he has it all figured out. But as to answering your question BEFORE this chapter, no, Thomas thinks Bo is nothing more than a large black dog. AFTER this chapter, he thinks Bo is a Deatheater.

Poor Bo.

All reviews are as of 12/18/2007.

And remember;

Christmas, folks, is just 6 days away.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I have planned a Christmas present for you guys, so be sure to look for it.

And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: If you have nothing better to do, feel free to sit around trying to figure out an angle to sue me because of this. But let me tell you now; the plot - is mine, the OC's - are mine, the story concept - is mine, anything and everything related to the Harry Potter series - not mine.

**CHAPTER SEVEN: MAKING PLANS**

Thomas sat in the room he shared with his younger brothers, speculating over his next move.

Justin and Vincent didn't seem any the worse for wear after eating what the woman had given them. Nor did Lucy, who was still downstairs with the woman, helping her get Katy fed.

So poisoning did not seem to be the immediate plan.

Or maybe that wasn't the plan at all. Maybe the woman and her accomplice wanted something from them? Something they needed them alive for.

But what? They didn't know anything.

Witnesses. The word kept creeping around his thoughts. Maybe what they needed was to know if the children saw anything or remembered anything. Or if they knew it was Deatheaters that attacked the house.

But they couldn't be sure of that, or know that Thomas had heard the two Aurors talking at the Ministry.

The best thing for now, he figured, would be to stay quiet about what they may or may not know. Keep their enemies guessing about where they stood.

Turning to see what Justin and Vincent were up to, he watched in silence for a few minutes as the two quietly discussed what they would do tomorrow. The main thing was to make sure everybody followed his plans.

"You guys have to be quiet about the attack." He stated suddenly, breaking into their conversation.

The two looked up immediately. "What?" They ask together.

"The attack on the house." Thomas repeated. "If anyone asks you about it anymore, don't answer them."

"But what if Katlin or Orion ask?" Vincent replied. "Lucy already said Katlin mentioned it to her."

Thomas' eyes narrowed. "She didn't say anything about that to me."

Vincent shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal, Thomas. Lucy said all Katlin said to her was that if she wanted to talk about it, she could, and Katlin was someone she could talk to."

Well, if that wasn't proof he was on the right track, Thomas didn't know what was. The Deatheater wanted his sister to talk about the attack. Tell her what she knew. What she remembered and what they all saw.

Thomas hopped off the bed and headed for the connecting door to see if Lucy was back yet. He had to have a serious talk with his sister about this.

"Thomas." Justin piped up.

Thomas turned to the younger boy.

"Why can't we talk about it with them?"

Thomas frowned at the question. "Because you can't." He replied simply.

"Well, what do we say if they do ask? We have to say something."

"Just tell them you don't remember anything." Thomas replied. "And then see that you don't." He added before opening the door.

Poking his head in, Thomas found the room still empty. That meant she was still downstairs with the Deatheater.

So where was her accomplice? Thomas felt that was a good thing to know and went to look for the man. If he found him, he'd just explain he was only exploring the house. And if he came across him in his animagus form, he'd just ignore him.

As he headed down the stairs, Thomas began to think on his next move. So he knew the woman at least was a Deatheater. And he wasn't sure if her accomplice was around all the time or not, or if he left the house from time to time. But what about the husband? Was Orion a Deatheater as well?

Thomas shook his head. How could he be? The man was an Auror. An Unspeakable. Surely if he were a Deatheater, his department would know.

No. He must be just as fooled as everyone else.

Thomas had heard stories about those who were found out after the dark lord's fall. Lots of husbands and wives were shocked and dismayed to find their spouses were actually Deatheaters, although they claimed to have no knowledge of it. Maybe that's what was going on here.

Thomas' thoughts took another turn. What if she was a spy?! That would explain a lot! Why her husband didn't seem aware of anything being amiss. She made sure he didn't. Kept everything normal, while her real goal was to spy on him. Probably get secrets about the Unspeakables activities. Husbands talked to their wives. Told them things without thinking twice about it.

What a perfect cover this was for her! The wife of an Unspeakable. No one would dare question her integrity when they went looking for how department secrets were leaking out. And Orion was a high ranking agent, he had heard. So she had that much more protection from discovery.

Thomas shook his head again. Man, she had everything set up pretty good. Her cover, her contacts, her manner of getting information. She must be a favorite of the dark lord for all the information she must pass along to him.

Well, now he knew what was going on, what was he going to do about it?

He couldn't tell her husband. He would never believe him. Think he was just a disgruntled foster kid, trying to make trouble.

No. He needed to take his information somewhere else. Talk to someone who would take him seriously. Someone who would listen.

The Ministry.

He had to get word to the Ministry. But how?

He could send an owl. Orion surely had an owl. Important man in the ministry, he must send owls all the time.

Thomas shook his head again as he reached the bottom of the stairs and looked around for where to start his search.

No. An owl might be intercepted. Or some junior clerk at the Ministry may get the letter instead, think it was some sort of joke, and discard it.

No. He had to go himself. He had to find a top ranking Auror and tell them. Maybe he would get lucky and find one of the ones who had interviewed them before and...that was it!

Thomas stopped dead in his tracks.

That was how he would get to someone who would believe him! He would go to the Ministry and tell them he had to talk to one of the Aurors that interviewed them because he remembered something important. From the way they had grilled him and his siblings for details before, they would gladly let him talk to the minister himself if they thought he had important information about that night.

Now the problem was how to get there.

But just as he was starting to try and formulate a plan to get out of the house, a large, shaggy black object imposed itself in his path.

Thomas looked down to find himself staring into the clear brown eyes of Orion's dog, Bo.

And he did not look the least bit happy.

**Q&A**

CelticHeiressFiona:

Thank you, Dear. And the same to you.

MasterLupin:

**Well I don't know about your cat, but mine is only friendly to me when he wants something. Usually he just wants a bowl of food water and a warm monitor to lounge on for the day. He is only friendly if the previous conditions have been meet otherwise he completely ignores you, quite the drama queen considering he is a cat.  
Anyway back to the story at large. Thomas is one paranoid kid, I like that. You can never write in enough paranoia for a teenager to seem realistic, as they are infinitely paranoid. Although Thomas more so considering that he is trying to desperately keep the only family he has left alive after witnessing his own parents' demise. I think the poisoned food line of thought for Thomas was a good one; I can't wait to see him stalking about the house of an unspeakable in search of food in the middle of the night. Probably get into a fight with Bo who will be curious about him and what he is doing in the middle of the night.  
I can see it now he will creep into the kitchen Bo will pop up as the cloak covered man thinking he is an intruder since he seems to have not been ready for kids in the house and Thomas will grab the knifes from the knife block and proceed to trash the kitchen, won't Katlin love that.  
Incase you can't post before the holiday, have a merry Christmas.**

Hmmmm..., snotty attitude, overbearing, demanding..., yup! Sounds like my cats. Actually, it sounds like the 19 year old. The 13 year old just can't be buggered enough to bother with an attitude. She just expects her needs to be met and if they aren't...well..., then we have 'issues'.

Yes indeed. Look up 'Paranoid' in the dictionary and there will be the kid's picture. The worst part about it is, as this chapter showed, he's paranoid, but pretty smart too. He doesn't just dive into anything head-first. He thinks it through.

Trust me, Bo is the least of the boy's worries by the next chapter.

A little explanation here concerning Bo's reaction to the kids at the house. It isn't that he was unprepared for them. I mean, do you honestly think this is the sort of thing Orion would seriously want to surprise his boggart with? The reaction was more due to a bit too much too soon. Bo simply wasn't use to so many new things at once. And these new things were noisy and moved around and invaded his space and were just...new. It was all just a bit much for him.

Hopefully, Thomas will not end up trashing the kitchen. And yes, Katlin would be minorly upset in a major way.

Silverfox:

**Ah yes, signing in is much better now. :)  
And oh no, that was exactly the wrong child to accidentally see Bo transform. Interesting how Thomas can get lots of completely wrong information and add it up to one technically correct conclusion: Katlin is a deatheater!  
I fear he'll cause some serious worries, if he's never seen eating anything, though. No Thomas, that's not quite a perfect plan.**  
**I still wouldn't call this the children meeting the bogart, though. Thomas has seen him, but not been introduced, nor was there any interaction yet.  
Er ... Sorry, I thought I'd mentioned it before. I'm Austrian. We speak German here, though with some words being different from Germany. I just spend a lo of time reading and writing in English. You can catch me out when asking for very a specific words I'd have heard, if I'd gone to an English speaking school, but that aren't used all that frequently otherwise. Name that plant/bird is always a tough one and Slang terms are good for guessing games as well. ;)  
Ah yes, when accidentally there and pressed the boss did sometimes make a 'definite decision'. This usually resulted in much urgent work that I'd sacrifice my lunch break to get done in time for him not to be around to sign/approve/discuss it. The next time I'd see him he'd then inform me that he'd changed his mind and was giving in to the wishes of another department. Chuck out that overdue work and please re-do it differently by yesterday. And by the way why am I never joining the rest of the department in the (smoke filled) meeting room for lunch break?  
I actually did get that it's only a foster parent situation, but from what little I know at least in this country most foster children stay with their foster parents permanently even if their real parents are still alive.  
Consider yourself showered in fox-kisses for uploading early by the way. I really hadn't expected you to find the time. :)**

You know, I never looked at it that way, but your right. He basically took all the wrong numbers, added them up, and still got the right answer.

Thomas has the potential to cause some majorly serious worries. And his not eating are the least of them. But honestly, how long so you think a fifteen year old boy can hold out? (OK, technically, he's 14 3/4.)

Well, that's more on Bo's part than anything. He's still settling into the idea of having the kids around. As I pointed out to MasterLupin, Bo's reaction and subsequent conversation with Katlin was based on too many new things to soon. It's all very interesting, but also all very confusing to him. But yes, you are right, they haven't met 'him' yet. But that is coming.

Hmmmmmmm..., I do seem to recall something being mentioned a while back about your being Austrian. You'll have to forgive an old lady and her poor memory.

Don't even get me started on my work, what goes on there, and how crazy it makes me.

Over here, foster temporary. If the real parents show up, you don't stand a chance. You are basically a glorified babysitter. Orion and Katlin are trying to adopt the kids, but that's going to take some time. In the meantime, due to Orion's position and reputation, and by virtue of a seriously overburdened child care system, they were allowed status as foster parents until things can get settled.

And look for my Christmas present tomorrow night. I think you especially will like it.

All reviews are as of 12/23/2007.

And remember;

How ever you celebrate them, Happy Holidays to you and yours.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Not much. Just,

As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: There are no gay characters in this piece of fiction, so how could you even remotely think Rowling wrote it?

**CHAPTER EIGHT: YOU'S IS A DEATHEATER..., SIR'S!**

Thomas stayed as still as he knew how, not daring to so much as breath.

The dog seemed to give him a good solid once over, as though memorizing everything about him, then growled low in its throat.

"Look," Thomas said quietly, "it isn't that I don't like dogs, it's just that..."

The dog growled again, then took several steps closer to the boy.

What was going on here? Why didn't Bo like him? He liked Lucy, Vincent, Justin...even Katy apparently. What was different about him?

Maybe the dog had seen him poking his head into the corridor. Maybe he was aware Thomas could blow his cover? Maybe...

"Bo!" A sharp voice cut off the 'maybe's'.

Thomas looked up to find himself facing the woman's husband.

"What do you think you're doing!?" The man demanded as Thomas blew out a silent breathe of relief despite himself.

The dog whined slightly then turned and nuzzled into the hand the man reached down to him.

"He was growling at me!" Thomas quickly accused, thinking ahead already that maybe he could get the dog banished outside the house. That would make things a lot easier for him in moving about if he only had to worry where at least one Deatheater was at any given moment. "I wasn't doing anything, and he followed me in here and started growling at me. He's dangerous!"

Orion looked down at the large shaggy black animal. "Are you being inhospitable again?" He ask the dog, scratching it behind its ears.

Dutifully the boggart took a seat next to his Channeler, keeping his two chocolate brown eyes fixed on the boy before him.

"He's dangerous!" Thomas repeated. "You should put him outside!"

The dog's ears instantly perked up. Turning to his Channeler, the boggart gave a soft whine.

"Bo isn't dangerous." Orion replied in a calm, but solid voice. "And as for why he's growling at you, it's because you're wandering about without myself, Katlin, or any of the others with you. Bo simply isn't used to seeing you in the house yet. And guarding the house is part of his duties. So basically, he was just doing his job."

"He was going to attack me! You should put him outside!"

Orion looked down at the dog. "Bo, were you going to attack Thomas?"

The dog barked once, then wagged his tail across the carpet.

Orion turned to the teenager. "Again, Bo was just doing his job. He stays. If you have a problem with that, you're more than welcome to stay outside."

Thomas didn't appreciate the smile the man gave him one bit. With a irritated sigh, he brushed past the man and his dog and headed back to the room.

OK, the dog stayed inside. He had to sleep. And the best time for him to sleep would be at night. He would just have to wait until then before trying to leave the room again. That would give him a good chance to practice sneaking to the kitchen for food.

----------------------------------------

At one in the morning, assuming everything in the house would now be asleep, Thomas threw back his covers and quietly pulled himself out of bed. In their own beds, Vincent was breathing in a slow, rhythmic pattern while Justin was snoring so loudly Thomas wondered how anyone slept.

Himself, he had been laying in bed watching the minutes tick by as his stomach growled loudly to protest having had nothing to eat since breakfast. The evening meal had gone well enough. The others answered questions, but kept the information general. Thankfully the two adults hadn't ask any specific questions about the fire or their parents. Instead the questions revolved around the interests and specific abilities of each child. Lucy was none to shy about showing off her skills with a wand, while Thomas glared at her, his fingers itching to gain back his own wand, still held hostage by Orion.

Silently creeping to the door, Thomas edged it open and quickly took in the corridor. Hours of laying in bed in the dark had allowed his eyes to more than adjust to the lack of light. Small night-lights were stationed strategically around the house, giving off just enough light so it wasn't totally dark, but also just little enough to provide a cover for sneaking about.

Stepping out into the empty corridor, Thomas silently closed the door and then quickly made for the head of the stairs, his hunger driving him more than his desire for staying covert.

Stopping at the top of the stairs, he looked over the railing and made a spot inspection of the foyer below and listened intently for any sound.

Everything appeared quiet.

Hurrying down the stairs, he nearly tripped on one of the steps, just catching himself on the banner rail, but making what sounded like a bone jarring amount of noise to his own ears. But he quickly regained his feet and hurried down the last few steps and dove behind one of the plants for cover just in case someone came to investigate.

But after several minutes and no investigation commencing, Thomas made his way across the foyer and down the corridor that led to the kitchen.

He could still smell dinner. A spicy stew that had made his mouth water. But he had firmly and safely declared once again that he wasn't hungry and the issue thankfully hadn't been pressed.

He decided he would wait until the following morning to see if any of his siblings suffered in any way from eating what they were given. If not, he felt that poisoning would not be what the two had in mind for them and he could start eating with the others again. Besides, he couldn't keep claiming to not be hungry. They would get suspicious. But in the meantime, he would simply raid the icebox and gather a few supplies to get him through the day.

In the kitchen Thomas made right for the icebox, only realizing once he already had the door partly open his total lack of vigilance in the matter. As fast has he had made for the tall, almond color box, the kitchen could have been packed with Deatheaters and he probably wouldn't have noticed.

He'd have to be more careful.

But past that, he was already here and nothing had happened, so best to get on with it.

Pulling the door open the rest of the way, Thomas smiled in appreciation of the site that greeted him.

For a Deatheater, the woman kept a well stocked icebox.

Bread, fruit, cheeses, meats, cans of soda, milk, chocolate, vegetables...all displayed before him and within easy reach.

Grabbing a bag of sliced meat, Thomas pulled it open and grabbed several thick slices of what smelled like ham. Stuffing them into his mouth, he next went for the brick of sliced cheese, followed by an apple, a banana, a can of soda, and three pieces of chocolate.

"Excusing us, Sir's?"

Thomas was just stuffing the last piece of chocolate into his mouth when he heard the small voice behind him. Pausing in mid-chew, the teenager slowly pulled his head out of the icebox and slowly turned around.

At first he didn't see anyone, until he looked down. In the light from inside the icebox, he saw a small, pale green creature standing behind him, looking as though it seriously felt it had done something very wrong in disturbing his feeding frenzy.

"Yes?" Was the only thing Thomas could possibly think to say in response.

The little creature took a tentative step forward. "Excusing the intrusion, Sir's, as I can see sir's is very busy, but I must be asking sir's a question."

Thomas paused for a moment, keeping a cautious eye on the little creature. "OK."

"As that I have never seen him here before, possibly might sir's be a Deatheater?"

Thomas considered the little green creature for a moment. "Are you nuts!?" He stated finally, but instantly lowered his voice again as he crouched down. "What do you mean 'Is sir's a Deatheater?' Do I look like a Deatheater?"

The little creature's expression shifted slightly. "Well, that would not be very good, would it, sir's, if sir's looked like a Deatheater? That would make Tets' job much easier, if Deatheaters looked like Deatheaters, because Tets is knowing Deatheaters when he is seeing them."

"Tets?" Thomas replied.

The little creature pulled himself up to his all of less than three feet stature. "Yes, sir's. I is Tets. Is Master Black's head house elf."

"You're a house elf?" Thomas inquired, looking the little creature over with renewed interest. "I've never seen a house elf before."

Tets sighed quietly. "It is the sign of a good house elf, sir's, not to be seen."

Thomas stood back up. "Well, I'm not a Deatheater." He replied.

The house elf regarded him carefully. "Then why, sir's, if I might be so bold to inquire, is sir's wandering around the master's house at night?"

Thomas had turned back to the icebox, intent on resuming his raid. "What does it look like?" He ask, opening the door again. "I'm getting something to eat."

"Sir's is eating in the middle of the night?"

Well, 'a good defense', as they say. "What about you?" Thomas asked with a frown. "What are you prowling about in the middle of the night?"

"Is the best time to be catching intruders, sir's. The middle of the night."

"Well, you don't need to worry." Thomas replied, pulling out another piece of meat. "That stupid dog has home security down to a science if ever I saw it."

The little house elf gave him an inquiring look. "Dog, sir's? The master is not having any dogs, sirs."

Thomas spoke up before he thought about the house elf's answer, or his own. "Sure he does. The big black one. Bo."

The house elf's eyes widened at the answer. "Bo's? Bo's is not a dog, sir's."

Thomas stopped in mid-chew as he stared down at the little elf. Tets knew Bo wasn't a dog? And if he knew Bo wasn't a dog, he also knew what he really was, and if he knew that...Thomas suddenly went from two accomplices to three in his count.

Swallowing quickly, he gave the little elf a broad, forced smile. "Well, of course he isn't. He's more just part of the family, right?" He stated in what he hoped was an amiable sounding tone. "Look," he added, edging towards the door, "it's late, and I'm going back to my room now, OK. So, I'll just be on my way now."

The little elf was moving with him, his brow slowly creasing itself into a frown. "Sir's is acting most suspiciously." The house elf stated, looking him over again. "Tets is thinking sir's is trying to fool him. That sir's is trying to get away before Tets is figuring out why he is here after all."

"I told you why I'm here." Thomas replied. "I came down to get something to eat."

"Is not a very likely story, sir's." The little elf replied. "Tets served a good meal to the family tonight. Was mostly eaten. Not much left over. Sir's should not be looking for food again so soon."

"I didn't eat!" Thomas protested.

The little elf stared up at him with a fixed stare. "Why was sir's not eating Tets dinner?"

"I...well, I wasn't hungry then. Now I am. I eat late all the time."

"Sir's is not sounding very convincing." The little elf stated, edging closer to him. "In fact, Tets is thinking sir's is," and a finger was quickly shoved under Thomas' nose, "A DEATHEATER!...sir's."

Thomas didn't wait to see what the house elf thought should be done with Deatheaters. He was already on a run down the corridor leading back to the stairs.

"Master's! Master's!" Came the call behind him. "I's is finding a Deatheater, master's!"

Thomas made it to the end of the corridor and just managed to stop himself from running right over the little elf as he appeared in front of him, still screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Master's! Tets is finding a Deatheater in the house, master's!"

Thomas quickly turned around and headed back to the kitchen. Surely there was another opening to the room he could escape through. Something that became all the more urgent as he heard the little elf down the corridor. "Bo's! Where is Bo's!? Tets is needing him! Now!"

Thomas picked up speed, grabbing the counter as he pulled himself around and headed for what looked like an open doorway.

Thankfully, it was. Another corridor opened before him and he sped down it, not caring where it took him, as long as it was in the opposite direction of where the little elf was still yelling his lungs out for assistance to catch the Deatheater.

Unfortunately, that wasn't where the hallway ran at all. Having taken not turns, or even the smallest sideways move, Thomas skidded to a stop in disbelief as he exited to the hallway to find himself once again back in the foyer. But this time he wasn't alone. Standing at the base of the stairs was the large, shaggy black dog, eyeing him like he was a large steak and the dog hadn't had supper in a week. On the other side of the stairs stood Tets, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"You's is a Deatheater, sir's and I's is catching you! You's would do well not to run."

If he had any thought of doing so, it was quickly abandoned by a voice that positively filled the foyer area from the top of the stairs.

"What in the name of Magic is going on!" Orion shouted, coming down the stairs as he tied off his robe. "Tets! If you haven't got at least ten Deatheaters down here, led by Voldemort himself, I swear I'll..." But his voice trailed off as he surveyed the scene before him now. "All right," he added, reaching the bottom of the stairs and folding his arms across his chest as he looked down at the small elf, "I'm listening."

"I's is catching a Deatheater, master's!" Tets beamed up at him.

"You's is catching Thomas, who is a guest in this house."

The house elf's shoulders fell. "Sir's?"

"Thomas," Orion repeated, indicating the teenager standing with his back to the front door, "is a guest in this house. And don't even try to bore me with telling me how you didn't know."

"But master's," Tets put in, "he's is sneaking about at night acting most suspicious."

"Suspicious?" Orion cocked an eyebrow as he turned to the teenager.

"Is stealing food, sir's." Tets supplied quickly.

Orion's gaze remained locked on the teenager.

"I wasn't stealing." Thomas felt the need to defend himself. "I was getting something to eat."

"Found your appetite finally?" Orion ask.

"I was hungry, so I came down to the kitchen to get something to eat." Thomas replied defiantly. "The next thing I know this...this crazy elf is screaming at me, saying I'm a Deatheater, and calling that dog to attack me! What sort of crazy place do you run here, anyway?!" He stated firmly.

Orion didn't budge. "A very secure one, as you've found out."

Thomas pointed a finger at Tets. "That elf's as crazy as the dog. And just as dangerous. He told that dog to attack me!"

Orion turned to Tets. "Tets, did you instruct Bo to attack Thomas?"

The house elf wrung his hands. "I's only called Bo for help, master's. The boy was very fast."

"Too right!" Thomas stated. "I was running for my life."

Orion glanced at the teenager, then turned back to Tets. "You did the right thing, Tets." He stated.

"What!?" Thomas yelled. "He nearly kills me and he's done the right thing?!"

"Tets did what he was suppose to do." Orion explained in a level tone. "Like Bo, he's here to guard my house. He was doing his job, albeit a little over-enthusiastically, and has nothing to explain about. You, on the other hand," he added, "can begin at any time."

"Me?!" Thomas asked, his tone laced with indignation. "I didn't do anything!"

"You're wandering around the house in the middle of the night, raiding the refrigerator..."

"I wasn't aware we weren't allowed access to food." He stated with a scowl.

"You're allowed access to all the food you want. My question is why you feel the need to steal it."

"I wasn't stealing it!"

"You always creep about in the middle of the night getting food?"

"Maybe."

"Why didn't you simply ask one of the house elves to get you something, instead of waking half the house?"

Thomas paused for a minute. "I didn't want to bother anyone." He answered finally.

"Not bother anyone?!" Orion stated. "You woke most of the house!"

Thomas pointed an accusing finger at the little elf. "I wouldn't have woke anyone if a certain little green busy body had minded his own business!"

Orion didn't rise to the bait, but kept his voice low and level. "Tets was minding his own business. Which happens to be the security of my house." He replied. "And so far, he's answered all of my questions regarding the events to my satisfaction. But I have as yet to hear any of yours reach that same level."

Thomas decided it was time to switch strategies. "You took my wand this morning, I want it back."

Orion simply kept a level gaze fixed on the boy. "And I already explained to you when you would get it back. A condition that not only are you not meeting, but getting further away from with every passing moment."

Thomas started to say something when a sleepy voice cut him off. "Orion, what in the name of..." But Katlin stopped halfway through a yawn as she caught sight of Thomas standing in front of her husband looking as defensive as anyone she'd ever seen. Her gaze quickly shifted back to her husband. "What's going on here?" She ask, now fully awake.

"We're up to level three of the interrogation." Thomas stated flatly.

Orion held a finger up in front of him. "Mister, it's already bad. Don't make it worse."

But Katlin jumped back in immediately. "Well, as that I'm the interrogator in the family, I think any questioning should be done by me."

"Katlin, I don't think..."

But Katlin quickly cut her husband off as she turned to the teenager. "Thomas, what are you doing down in the kitchen at one in the morning?"

The teenager shifted part of his attention to her, never taking it fully off the man standing before him. "I was hungry, so I came down here to get something to eat. But then..."

But Katlin cut him off with equal ease. "And did you get something to eat?"

Thomas stood for a moment, slightly pulled off course by the abruptness of the questions. Suddenly, he felt very much like he was being interrogated. "Yes." He answered quickly.

"And are you done eating?" Katlin ask in the same abrupt, short manner.

"Yes."

"Then go to bed."

Hesitating for just a moment, the teenager took advantage of the dismissal and exited the kitchen without a backward glance. But he only went as far as the foyer, where he stopped and hid behind the same large plant he had used for cover before and waited.

"You shouldn't have let him off so easily." Orion's voice came down the hallway from the kitchen a few minutes later.

"There's an old saying, Orion," came the soft answer, "'Choose your battles wisely'. It wasn't worth pursuing from what I could tell. All he was doing was getting something to eat. It wasn't a crime. And personally, I'm just happy to see he's finally eating something."

"From the looks of it, half of the refrigerator's stock."

"So what was that all about?" Katlin ask.

"Long story." Came Orion's answer as they emerged into the large foyer area. "And its not the story that bothers me, but the content of it."

Katlin turned to her husband as she halted on the first step of the stairs. "Content?"

"For whatever reason, I think Thomas thinks Bo is more than just a dog."

Katlin paused as she gave him a questioning stare. "Why would he think that?"

Orion shrugged. "Just some things he says and the way he acts towards him."

Katlin patted his shoulder. "Come back to bed, Love. You're obviously tired and hallucinating. There's no reason for any of them think Bo is anything other than a dog."

Thomas listened as Orion sighed and finally turned and followed his wife back up the stairs.

Great magic! Could things get any worse?!

Now the woman knew he was suspicious of at least her accomplice. How much longer before she realized the only way he could have found out was to have seen them together, talking.

Suddenly it became absolutely imperative he get to the Ministry. And as soon as possible.

Waiting until he couldn't hear the two voices anymore, Thomas emerged from his hiding place and hurried up the stairs, less Orion's two security guards had another go at a duel assault on him again.

The rest of the night he would figure out a way to get out of the house safely and without being seen. Once he made it to the Ministry, then they'd see who knew what.

**Q&A**

CelticHeiressFiona:

Thank you, Dear. And the same to you. And a Happy New Year.

Silverfox:

**Ah, but P.A.R. I've already got a Christmas present. It's obviously this chapter posted on the very day we celebrate Christmas here in Austria! Which means you are obviously, secretly the Christkind! (See, I'm as good at logical deduction as Thomas.) :)  
Speaking of Thomas his guesses are amazingly close to the truth. The boy should study divination. Professor Trelawney would love him.**  
**Hm ... Bogarts can read people's fears, so can Bo read Thomas' intentions as well? He can't know everything people think, though, or Orion wouldn't have to talk when communicating with him. How telepathic is he?  
Well, children that are considered likely to return to their parents seem to wind up in orphanages rather than foster homes here, so the foster children are unlikely to be claimed, I guess.**

As much as I like the name and the association, Dear, I don't think I could ever measure up to the Christkind.

But of course you're good at logical deduction, Dear. I've never doubted that. Between you and MasterLupin, you two really keep me on my toes.

Once again the poor boy is just missing grabbing the right end of the proverbial stick. The problem is, again, where as his reasoning skills need a little work, he does somehow seem to have a talent for still arriving at the right answer.

Fears and intentions are two very different things, Dear. And where as Bo is better than the average boggart at knowing what people's fears are, he is absolutely not a mind reader.

Oddly enough, Bo has to communicate with Orion through verbal and sign cues, since Bo himself doesn't talk. But with his Host, it is indeed more of a direct telepathic link, though not entirely at that level. Bo can 'talk' to his Host without either needing to say a word verbally, but Bo can not read Talon's mind, nor vice-versa. It is purely a communications type of telepathy.

OK, everybody has their own way of doing things I guess, but that seems the wrong way round to me. I would think it more likely, if parents are going to reclaim the child, but for whatever reason have to be separated from that child for a while, foster parents would be the way to go (at least here). Children who go to orphanages in the United States are usually true orphans, with little possibility of someone showing up to claim them.

Oh well.

Happy New Year, Dear.

MasterLupin:

**Now I assume that the Dog is Bo, and not Sirius. I can't imagine that the next few minutes will be very pleasing for Bo or Thomas. I wonder what will happen, my guess is that since Thomas has put together that the Dog is really a death eater, and thus a mortal being. He will decide that a preemptive strike on the man in his dog form will give him the advantage, because when was the last time a dog could hold a wand and say a spell? Obviously his preemptive strike and shock and aw strategy will not work as Bo probably won't be hurt by any physical attack that Thomas is capable of.  
A further guess may be that Thomas ends up running through the house with an angry dog chasing after him desperately looking for Orion, whom as you mentioned is believed to be a good guy. I don't think that Thomas will necessarily leave the house while his siblings and the 'enemy' are still in it. So I think that the only way that he will be able to get to the ministry will be if the whole group goes on some sort of outing in a crowded place, and he conveniently gets separated from the group. One quick tube ride later, (because wizards and witches seem to be completely inept at public transit, thus a good protective way to move about the city) he walks into the ministry.  
Have a Merry Christmas.**

(Pauses, giving the screen a black stare.)

(Sighes.) I just knew I should have made him a small Yorkshire Terrier instead of a large black dog. Too much confusion.

Sorry about that, Dear. The dog was never meant to represent Sirius.

Well, from what he saw in the corridor, he already knows it's not a real dog. And he's pretty sure it's a Deatheater. (Poor Thomas and that wrong end of the stick.)

As for the rest of it, weeellllllllll..., a preemptive strike is likely only going to serve to amuse Bo. Although the degree to which he could be hurt in such an attack is a bit of a question, still, it would likely only amuse him.

Despite that it didn't quite come off as you theorized, you still had all the basic players there. Nice job on that. Still one of my hardest readers to pull a fast one over on.

As for the rest, it comes down to a matter of necessity. And right now, Thomas sees the greatest good being served by him getting to the Ministry as fast as possible, and returning under the same circumstances. He still isn't sure about which side Orion is on, but he's betting the side of all things good and right. So he is leaving his siblings in semi-good hands while he makes his sprint to the Ministry and back. Keep in mind, he has to do this in such a way he won't be missed. So he has to be REALLY fast!

Thank you, Dear. It was very nice and peaceful for the most part.

And a Happy New Year to you.

ilovesiriusblack:

**Oh dear an annoyed looking Bo never a good sign. But why is he annoyed? Thomas hasn't mentioned his suspicions to anyone so what has he done to annoy Bo? Is Bo psychic? Looking forward to the next chapter, excellent so far.**

You actually asked a very complicated question, Dear. And I'm going to try and give you the 250 words or less answer.

True. The last thing in the world you want to do is annoy a boggart. Why was he annoyed? Well, as pointed out in this chapter, Bo was just doing his job. He saw Thomas as an intruder. Now, before you even go there, let me point out, yes, Bo knew who Thomas was. And yes, he knew why Thomas was in the house. But one of Bo's faults, if it can be called that, is he never really gives people the benefit of the doubt. Remember, with Bo, you only have two categories. Things he likes and things he doesn't like as much. New things, although interesting, actually fall into the second category until Bo gets a better handle on them. In Bo's point of view, Thomas was being annoying. He wasn't giving Bo a chance to 'sort him out'. He was wandering about the house on his own while all the other new things were staying together. Basically, you once again had the 'too much, too soon' syndrome. Thomas wasn't doing what Bo thought he should be doing, which was staying with the other new things, and the poor boggart was already trying to handle too many new things being thrown at him at once.

Bo is not psychic, Dear. Nor, as pointed out in Silverfox's answer, is he telepathic on any level except communication with his Host.

OK, that puts me at 230 words, so I have to stop.

Thank you for the compliment, and have a Happy New Year, Dear. (Rats! 255!)

**Bo's Day Out**

ilovesiriusblack:

**I love Bo. I hope Orion isn't going to be to him it's not Bo's fault after all. Hope to read more soon.**

Bo generally ends up with little more than a firm talking to, Dear. Not to worry. Orion does indeed realize that, not only was nothing that happened Bo's fault, but for the general operating level of a three year old, Bo did pretty darned good.

Ummmm...in regards to your last comment, Dear, you do realize this was the last chapter in this story?

Silverfox:

**Ah Bo, I missed you yesterday! hugs horrified bogart**  
**Did Katy know which direction home is or were they just walking around at random?  
Actually I was defining entity as something at least close to self-aware. Form has nothing to do with it.  
16 year olds? gulp (I don't think I've had to deal with them directly since I was a teen myself, so maybe I'd be able to handle it by now, but I really don't want to try.)  
You'd be amazed at all the different Christmas customs around the world. Even in England it's Father Christmas rather than Santa and just recently a Finnish friend tried to explain something about a Christmas Goat to me. We used to talk about Christmas in other countries every December in primary school. I've forgotten almost all of it, but it was rather helpful at teaching us that other cultures are out there and interesting.**

Indeed, the boggart is cringing as we speak. Poor Bo. So much touching.

Sorry about the miss, Dear. Just terribly busy.

Random walking, Dear.

16 isn't so bad. they have a bit of attitude, but at least you can talk to them.

You know, I have actually heard about the Christmas Goat! Don't remember much about it, but do remember hearing about it somewhere. Personally, I don't care who brings them, as long as there are presents under my tree Christmas morning, all is right with the world.

All reviews are as of 12/30/2007.

And remember;

To all my readers, I wish you a happy and peaceful new year.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Actually, sorry for the miss last week. I've been a little busy.

If you're at all interested in where I've been the last week, see my author's page.

And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Folks, after all I've been through in the past two weeks, I'm too darned tired at this point to plagiarize anyone. So, if it's OC, it's mine. If it relates to anything in the Harry Potter series, it's Rowling's.

**CHAPTER NINE: I'D LIKE TO REPORT A DEATHEATER**

Early the next morning Thomas once again made his way downstairs at what he hoped the house elf and the 'dog' considered a more reasonable hour and threw a stash of food into a small bag he was carrying. Half a loaf of bread, some fruit, cookies, and chocolate all went into the bag, which was then quickly stored out of sight under his bed. If no one at the Ministry believed him, he would at least be ready to make a run for it, taking the others with him.

He was the oldest, and they were his responsibility. His father had told him this several times weeks before his parents had been murdered. He had to be ready to take over as head of the family and make sure his siblings were protected.

Thomas sat on his bed thinking over what he and his father had talked about as the other two ran about getting ready for breakfast. Had his father known something was wrong? Had the Deatheaters already made threats? Attempts on his life and that of his wife? Did he know the attack was coming, and that they might possibly be killed? Did he think the Deatheaters would try and kill them as well?

Questions, questions, questions. And very few answers.

"Come on, Thomas. Katlin called us a long time ago to come down for breakfast." Vincent roused him out of his thoughts. "And I heard Lucy go past with Katy five minutes ago. The food's probably half gone." He added, hurrying out the door, dismayed at his own thoughts of missing out.

Thomas followed Vincent and Justin out the door, wondering how he was going to get out of the house unseen. But the problem quickly solved itself when he arrived in the kitchen.

"Hurry up, Thomas." Lucy informed him in her usual empirical voice. "You're making us late."

"For what?" Came the less than interested question.

"We're going shopping." Katlin answered for his sister. "Most of your things were destroyed in the...," she paused for a fraction of a second before continuing, "...fire, and you need things to wear and other essentials. So we're going to London today to go shopping."

Shopping? In a public place?

Thomas' mind started up at top speed again. If they were leaving the house, maybe he could stay behind. That would give him a chance to get out and make it to the Ministry and likely be back before anyone even knew he'd gone anywhere.

"I hate shopping." He stated quickly. "Can I stay home?"

Katlin looked up from dishing a spoonful of eggs onto Vincent's plate as he held it up for her. "But you need clothes, Thomas." She replied. "Lucy said the agency only gave you bare essentials. She said everyone could stand a set of clothes and she needed some other things as well."

"I can tell you my size." He quickly put in.

Katlin gave him a small smile. "Well, there's something I never thought I would live to see the day of. A teenage boy who knows what size clothes he wears."

Thomas looked hopeful. "Does that mean I can stay home?"

"No." Orion answered as he entered the kitchen. "I have to go to the office. Katlin is taking everyone shopping. No one stays home."

"I'm almost 15!" He protested. "I can stay home by myself."

"You're in a new house where you obviously don't understand the rules. You go with everyone else."

The teenager turned a pleading look to Katlin. Adversary or not, she was his best hope to get out of this. "But I want to stay here." He protested. "I haven't had a minute alone since...since the attack." He finished quickly. "I would just like a few hours on my own. And I won't be totally here alone. Bo's here...and Tets. They can watch me...if you don't trust me." He put in with a small frown as he turned back to Orion.

"It's not a question of trust, Thomas." Katlin put in.

"Yes, it is." Came the snapped off answer over his head as Orion took his place behind the boy.

Katlin frowned at her husband. "We'll discuss this later." She stated pointedly at him. "In the meantime, everyone finish your breakfast and go make lists of what you think you need. We'll leave in about an hour, all right?"

The question brought a ring of acknowledgements from the others as Thomas gave her one more hopeful stare, not even bothering to see what her husband thought.

----------------------------------------------------

"Katlin, its' a bad idea." Orion stated, following her into their bedroom. "The boy has already been acting like..."

Katlin turned to him when he stopped abruptly in what he was saying. "Like a Deatheater in Diagon alley?" She ask.

"Like someone with something to hide." He put in. "He isn't to be trusted."

"Orion," Katlin stated, crossing her arms in front of her as she stared him down, "putting aside that based on what that boy has been through in the past few weeks, I think he's adjusting remarkably well, if we're going to stand any chance of keeping those children, or building any sort of family with them, we have to start showing them we trust them. And this is a perfect opportunity to do just that. We can show Thomas we trust him enough to leave him alone for a few hours, and we can show the others we trust him, so they get included in the lesson as well. It's a 'win/win' situation for everyone."

"Until I come home to Bo being half nuts with a stranger in the house and no one else around. You know how he hates that, Katlin!"

"Well, then you'll have to explain it to him."

Orion eyed her carefully for a moment. "I'll have to explain it to him?"

Katlin fixed him with a solid stare. "I'm taking Justin, Vincent, Lucy, and Katy shopping, Orion. Thomas is staying home."

"That was one heck of a short discussion," He pointed out. "Where was the part where I got my say?"

"You had it. The fact you used it to not make one bit of sense is not my problem." She informed him sweetly, then gave him a quick kiss and a wave. "Have a nice day at the office, Love."

Orion stared after her, trying to think of anything to stay off what he felt was a very bad decision. But in the end he decided he was trapped and he had best make as sure as he could nothing went wrong.

"Bo!"

The boggart immediately materialized in front of him.

"Let's have a talk, buddy." He stated.

----------------------------------------------------

An hour later Thomas couldn't have been more surprised if the dog had stood up and started talking as Katlin bundled his other four siblings up and told him he would be allowed to stay home for the morning and that he was to follow a few simple rules.

Thomas turned to the older man and prepared to have the law laid down.

"You're not to leave the house." Orion started. "And no one comes in. Don't try and brew anything, no magic use, no fires, floo powder, or any other transportation devices that could be construed as not really leaving the house as that we didn't use any doors."

At that point Katlin rolled her eyes at her husband, hitched Katy up on her hip, took Vincent by the hand, and directed Justin and Lucy to follow as she stepped out the front door, bidding Thomas to have a nice day of it...if her husband left anything that even remotely would allow that.

Thomas caught himself almost smiling at the statement as he kept a well fixed stare on the man before him. He was sure as soon as Katlin and the others were well and truly gone, everything was going to hit the fan with the older man.

He heard the car engine start and the small sedan pull away down the driveway. It wasn't until he couldn't hear the car anymore that he realized Orion hadn't stopped talking once. But with a very firm 'Is that all understood?', he snapped his attention back to the older man.

Thomas did his best to look bored. "Basically," he summarized, "sit in a chair until the others come back and don't move."

Orion studied the teenager for a moment. "I'd like to think that would be possible, or that in a good and perfect world that you even took in one tenth of what I said, but I doubt either one of those did or will actually happen. So let's keep it simple, shall we?" He asked. "When I come home tonight, I would like to hear that everyone had a lovely day, and my house has not been visited by the magic reversal squad any more than three times. Is that easy enough?"

"Then you should be talking to Justin." Thomas supplied.

Orion cocked an eyebrow at the boy. "Excuse me?"

"Justin." Thomas repeated. "He's the one that's always mucking about with magic spells. Messes stuff up somethin' horrible some times."

"And you never do?"

Thomas shrugged. "Not much chance, is there? You still have my wand." He pointed out with a firm frown in place.

"Behave yourself and you might just get it back." Orion replied, picking up his coat off the bench in the foyer. "Bo is here, and so is Tets. Just ask the short green one if you need anything. If there's trouble, Tets will get hold of me, so don't even bother with it."

"Right." Thomas agreed flatly, following the man to the front door.

Orion stopped and turned back to the boy. For several seconds he just studied the sullen looking teenager.

"Listen to me." He said finally in as calm and non-antagonistic a voice as he felt he could manage at the time. "We are not your enemies, Thomas. Katlin and I are trying very hard to help you and your brothers and sisters adjust to a very horrible event. No one should have to go through what you all have. And even through Katlin and I can't change what's happened, we will do everything we can to try and help you through it, all right? But you have to give a little too."

Thomas only nodded in response and Orion gave a small sigh as he turned to the door. "Tell Tets if you need anything." He stated once more before apparating to the office.

No sooner had the man apparated out of the house than Thomas was on the move. No point, he thought, in giving the other two time to formulate a plan. There was no way, with the change of plans for the day already, that they could have put together anything on controlling his moves about the house yet. But they were likely already discussing a plan and so he had to move fast.

Heading to his room, he pulled open the small box containing his few possessions. Out of the bottom he pulled a small bag, which he took and hurried downstairs. Not seeing anyone around, he allowed himself a quick peek in the jar by the fireplace. Not a spec of Floo Powder was left inside. So they had anticipated that possibility, he thought, smiling as he held up the small bag. Thankfully, he had been a step ahead of them that morning, sneaking the small bag of Floo Powder out as he headed upstairs after his early morning second raid on the kitchen. And since the other two didn't think there was any Floo Powder accessible, they likely weren't watching for this particular exit from the house.

Stoking the red, glowing coals, Thomas throw a bit more wood on the fire to keep it going. An hour should do it. By the time he returned, the fire should have died back down to where it was before and no one would be the wiser.

Pulling a handful of the powder out of his bag, Thomas carefully measured it out to make sure he had enough to make it to the Ministry and back. He had taken just enough for the two trips so that it wouldn't be missed. And if he could get some more at the Ministry, all the better, in case they had to make an emergency escape if things got messy when the Ministry came to the house to arrest the Deatheaters.

Not waiting for the fire to get any higher in the fireplace, Thomas threw the powder on the fire.

"Office of the Aurors." He stated clearly, and stepped into the fire.

As soon as the fire flared up and the teenager disappeared, a lone figure materialized in the room. Staring at the fire, Bo simply blew a soft puff of air out that slightly ruffled the cloth in front of his face as he stood watching the fire.

His Channeler was not going to be happy.

--------------------------------------------------------------

It took Thomas several minutes to orient himself once the Floo Powder delivered him where it did. The last thought he had had was that perhaps the man had enchanted the fire place not to allow anyone to use it, or worse, to take anyone trying to use it right to his office. A slight tug and a pull he wasn't familiar with had sent that thought spiraling into near panic when he found himself deposited in a small, smooth stone cell, where he was now facing two men with their wands pointed directly at him.

"Right-O." The one on his right stated. "And who might you be, laddy?"

Thomas put two hands quickly in the air to show he had no wand. "My name is Thomas Belker." He stated quickly. "I need to speak to Martin Loudmen."

Thomas had spent all morning trying to remember the name of the Auror who had interviewed him. Who had last told him to call him if he remembered anything else of importance. He hoped he had remembered the name right.

The first aurors lowered his wand while the second brought down the ward in front of the cell opening. "And what might you want to see Mr. Loudmen about, laddy?"

"I have something to tell him." Thomas breathed a quite sigh of relief that the name seemed to be the right one. "About the attack on my family. It's important."

The Aurors exchanged a quick look, then the first gave a short nod. "Follow Mr. Patlon. He'll take you to Mr. Loudmen. Stay with him and don't make any attempt to leave his presence until he says so."

Thomas nodded as he stepped out of the stone cell and quickly hurried off after the other Auror.

The man gave reticent a whole new meaning, Thomas thought as he followed behind him through countless hallways, corridors, doorways, and wards. The man never once looked to see if Thomas was following him and never said so much as a word, even to give him directions.

-----------------------------------------------------------

The Auror opened the door and ushered Thomas inside. "A Thomas Belker to see you, Sir." The man announced.

If Martin Loudmen recognized him, Thomas didn't see one ounce of that recognition in the man's expression. But he nodded to the other Auror who had been standing by his desk. "We'll take up the matter later, Jon." He said, then turned his attention to the Auror with Thomas. "You can leave the boy with me. I'll take responsibility for him." He stated.

The man gave the briefest nod and disappeared out the door again.

Loudmen gestured to the seat in front of him. "I take it you have something you remembered then, son?" He ask straight off.

"You remember who I am?" Thomas ask, needing to hear the man confirm it.

"Thomas Belker. Your 14 years old, you have two brothers, Justin and Vincent, and two sisters, Lucy and Katy, 11, 6, 12, and 1, respectively. Just shortly under three weeks ago your home was attacked by as yet unknown persons and your parents were killed in the attack. Anything other recap you need?"

Thomas stared at the man for a moment, then slowly shook his head. The man hadn't impressed him as warm and friendly the first time they had met and he seemed determined to solidify the impression this time.

"Good." Loudmen replied. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"You said if I remembered anything to call you."

"But you thought just dropping by was a better idea?" Loudmen ask.

"I couldn't call." Thomas answered quickly, seeing a perfect opportunity to get to the point. "If I contacted you, she'd know, or at least try to stop me."  
"She?"

"The Deatheater."

Thomas was sure the man was five seconds away from lighting up like a Christmas tree in his chair. "A Deatheater?" He asked.

Thomas nodded. "And she has an accomplice...two...in the house with her."

The man looked more interested now than he had the night Thomas first met him. "What house would this be, son?"

"Where they took us. The Deatheater and her husband. But I don't think he knows who she is, or what she's up too. I mean, they had couples like that in the war against the dark lord, right? Husband's who didn't know their wives were Deatheaters?"

But Loudmen didn't seem to be listening. Instead he had pointed his wand at his desk top and a file had instantly appeared, which he was now quickly flipping through the pages of.

Stopping on one of the files pages, the man glanced over it before turning back to Thomas. "You and your siblings are living in the house of the Unspeakable, Orion Black?" He asked, one eyebrow coming up slightly.

Thomas nodded. He knew it was likely going to come to this. He had to make them believe him.

"And who would this Deatheater be exactly that you say is in the house?"

"His wife." Thomas stated clearly. "Katlin Black."

The man quickly closed the file with a snap. "Son," he stated slowly, "do you have any idea who you're accusing?"

"I'm not accusing him." Thomas stated as firmly as he could manage. "It's her...his wife. She's the Deatheater. And I can prove it."

The man fixed a hard stare on him. "I most certainly hope you have something to back this up with, son. Because your word isn't going to stand up for three seconds against the reputation of an Unspeakable of Black's status."

Thomas took a deep breath. "I told you," he started, "I don't think he knows. At least he doesn't act like he does. But I've seen her...and her accomplices talking. Black has a dog in the house...but he's not a dog, he's an animagus. And I saw them go off together..."

"Black and the dog?" Loudmen ask.

"No. Katlin Black and the dog...the animagus. I saw him transform. He turned into a man again. And he was wearing black robes when he transformed. And when he talked to Mr. Black's wife, he talked in some sort of code...using hand signals. And she understood him and answered him."

As Thomas talked he was pleased to see the man get more interested.

"And what did Mrs. Black and this man talk about?"

Thomas paused, then shrugged slightly. "It was hard to tell. They didn't talk very long. But the Animagus didn't seem pleased that we were there; my brothers and sisters and me. From what I could tell...from what I heard her saying, we came too soon. Like they were expecting us, but for some reason we ended up in the house sooner than the man expected, and he wasn't happy about it."

Loudmen seemed to consider the story. "Did the man in the robes say why you had come too soon, or why it upset him?"

Thomas thought long and hard, but then shook his head. "That was all I heard." He stated. "At least from her. The man never spoke except to use those symbols with his hands. But they moved downstairs and I couldn't hear them anymore. But he has to be a Deatheater!" Thomas stated firmly. "Why else is he hiding in the house as a dog? And why does he speak using just his hands?"

"You said there was another accomplice?" Loudmen ask in a tone Thomas didn't think bode well for his believing him.

"Mr. Black has a house elf...Tets. He seems to be with the other two."

"How so?"

"He slipped up." Thomas replied. "He stated he knew the dog wasn't a dog. Said his master didn't have a dog. And when I told him who I meant when I said 'the dog', he said that that wasn't a dog."

"And who did he say the dog was?"

"He didn't. He started accusing me of being the Deatheater. Started chasing me through the house, calling for the other Deatheater...the dog...to come help him."

"And did he?" Loudmen ask with all the combined interest of asking Thomas if he thought it was raining outside.

"Mr. Black showed up."

"And what happened then?"

"Tets told him I was a Deatheater and he had caught me."

"And how did Mr. Black respond to all this?"

Thomas paused. "He said that Tets was wrong. That I wasn't a Deatheater, that I was a guest in his house and Tets was to stop calling me a Deatheater."

The man sat behind his desk considering the story with what bordered to Thomas on a very bored expression.

"You have to understand how very unlikely this is, Thomas." The man stated finally, after giving it what the teenager felt was long over the necessary amount of time for thought. "You are accusing the wife of a high ranking Unspeakable of being a Deatheater, and claiming her husband is unaware of that fact. Do you understand just how unlikely that is?"

"I'm telling you what I saw." Thomas replied flatly. "If you don't believe me, that's fine. But you can't leave us there. Whatever they're up to, it involves us somehow. It has something to do with what happened to my parents."

The man seemed to consider the story again, then finally pulled out his wand once more and pointed it at his desk top. A small fire flew up at his command. "Betty, ask Tedler and Patterson to come to my office please."

Less then a minute passed before two men appeared in Loudmen's office.

"Thomas, this is Tedler and Patterson, two of my top agents. I want you to go with them and tell them everything you just told me. When you're done, they'll bring you back here. All right?"

Thomas considered the request a bit odd, but nodded just the same and followed the two men out of the room.

Thirty minutes later the three returned to Loudmen's office. But at the door the two left Thomas seated on a bench outside.

"Well?" Loudmen ask when the two men finally stood in front of his desk again.

"He believes it." Was all the first man said.

The second man briefly turned to his companion, then turned to his supervisor. "The boy believes everything he's told us, sir." Patterson agreed. "If he is lying, I'd love to have him join our ranks, because he's better at it than anyone I've ever met. But in my opinion, everything he's said happened exactly as he's said it. He's not lying or making any of it up."

Loudmen seemed to consider the information before speaking again. "You're sure the boy is telling the truth? No doubt?"

The first Auror shook his head. "No doubt whatsoever, sir."

"And you're sure he didn't know you were doing it?"

Patterson raised an eyebrow. "We both preformed checks on the boy while he was talking. He was never aware of a thing. Most people, if they suspect we're checking them out, they flinch or twitch or something. It's instinctive. They can't help it. They just imagine they can feel us inside of them. This kid didn't so much as squirm once. He had no idea what we were doing in that room, and I'll stake my fifteen year career on that. Now with all due respect, sir, why the triple checks on if we know proper procedure?"

Loudmen slowly rose out of his chair and leaned over his desk towards the two men, speaking in a deceptively calm, level voice. "Because that boy is accusing the wife of a top level Unspeakable of being a Deatheater. And I am not going to go and stand before Orin Bale and report one of his agents is harboring a Deatheater without making absolutely sure everyone of my little ducks is lined up exactly behind the one in front of it, Patterson."

"Orin Bale, sir?" The man ask.

"That's not my choice." Loudmen replied, slowly sitting back down. "That's SOP. Personally, I'd like nothing better than to shove something like this right up Orin Bale's nose. He took far too much pleasure for my liking after the war of finding Deatheaters in my department and having them paraded off to Azkaban while the Daily Prophet took notes on names and positions here." The man's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'd love nothing better than to return that particular favor."

Tedler quietly stood before his superior, rubbing his chin. "Maybe you can do him even one better, sir."

Loudmen's attention shifted to the other man in the room.

"We don't have to go in on a seizure order, sir. We can tag this as a simple reconnaissance. That way we can pass any reports to Bale, and all Black needs to be told is that there was a report and we're there to investigate it. And we can deliver that information to him three seconds before we walk into his house."

Loudmen sat silently staring up at Tedler for a long moment. "We'll need to make sure we have everything covered." Loudmen tapped his finger on his desk for a few seconds before turning back to his two men. "We'll send the boy back to the house. Make everything seem nice and normal. Tell him to keep a low profile, but keep watch as well. Patterson, when this happens, I'll want no less than your best ten Aurors lined up to go inside." He stated, turning then to Tedler. "I'll want you on the outside with fifteen more ready for back-up. If Black's wife is a Deatheater, and she's had him fooled all these years, you can bet she's good and she's high ranking. This is no wanna-be we'll be dealing with. If she proves to be what the boy says, she'll go down fighting. So we'd better go well prepared."  
"And what will you tell Orin Bale, sir?" Tedler ask.

Loudmen leaned back in his chair. "Bale? This is a simple reconnaissance mission, Tedler. And Orin Bale is a busy man, or so he likes to keep telling me. I really don't see any need to bother him with this until we have some definitive proof of our suspicions, do you?"

Tedler gave his superior a small smile. "No, sir. Not at all."

**Q&A**

Silverfox:

**LOL! I'd completely forgotten the crazy house elf! Poor Thomas will soon decide this is a prison rather than a house. At least I can't see him managing to sneak past both elf and bogart any time soon.  
You think you don't measure up to the Christkind? Half my presents came from you this year!  
Well, the motivation for most people who become foster parents is their wish to adopt a child. If there were little hope of keeping the little one, why would they still do it? Besides the parents would probably mind the rivals for the child's affection. Orphanages don't give the children much chance to form a bond with any of their caretakers.**  
**16 not so bad? They only pass time by talking about sex and people's bodies, preferably in a group of the same sex and loudly. The female ones enjoy nothing more than making smaller/younger/inferior people cry while the male ones will just physically manhandle you instead ... shudder. If you can find one on their own, they may occasionally talk sense, though. (As I said, I was about their age, though people didn't estimate me that high until I was 20.)  
And you might be disappointed by both Christkind and Christmas Goat in that case as they deliver in the evening on Christmas Eve and there's nothing on Christmas morning. Then again, I suppose you could just ignore the gifts overnight.**

I am sure Thomas is well on his way to wondering what sort of place he has landed in. Certainly nothing like he originally thought. At first he thought he was just going to be someone's monthly paycheck. Now he's not sure what's going on. But hey, no one can accuse the kid of being a pacifist. The situation (in his opinion) needs action, and he's taking it.

Well thank you, Dear. Usually my present giving skills suck. Gift cards are my sure foundation.

Well, you certainly hit on a huge part of Thomas' reasoning for why he feels the way he does. He sees the Black's as Foster Parents. People who, for whatever their reasons, took in five kids...most likely the money...on a temporary basis. Dealing with my own culture, that is one of the reasons people become foster parents. A paycheck.

Some..., not all, I would like to firmly point out.

But that is definitely the way Thomas saw things at first. Now, as stated, he isn't sure what the motivation is.

I am definitely referring to the one on one encounters, Dear. Never approach them in a pack. They're like two legged coyotes, sucking courage and bravado off of each other. Alone is the only time you get to see the real person that 16 year old may have a chance to become if they're truly brave enough to step away from the herds mentality. Those are the only ones who ever really appear to amount to anything. The one's who can think for themselves.

Actually, my father is Dutch and we were raised on the St. Nicholas custom. So we got treats in our stockings long before Christmas. But my mother stuck firmly to American customs. So we sort of got two Christmas' each year. Let's hear it for multicultural families! Woohoo!!!!!!!!

CelticHeiressFiona:

**Awesome chapter. Truthfully, if out of no where a little green dude popped out of nowhere, I would be a little freaked too. Again, great chapter. Happy New Year!**

Well, maybe a little more freaked than Thomas was. After all, in the atmosphere he was raised in, people appearing out of nowhere isn't really that big of a deal.

MasterLupin:

**Well happy New Year, to you. I was surprised that the midnight kitchen raid went down so well for Thomas. Thinking of course that it would have become more a run through the house trying to get away from a crazy elf. I half expecting him to run out the door and jog to the ministry. Oh well so much for bold and audacious action. I going to venture a guess that he will get to the ministry via floo powder so that he can do it quick and quiet without being missed.**

Actually, it's a good thing Thomas never made for a door to the outside. He'd have been seriously disappointed. All the doors, windows, chimneys...any opening to the house, is guarded by a ward of Bo's choosing. Meaning, not only is it there, but you have no idea what it's set up to do. And knowing Bo's rather...eccentric...sense of humor, that could be darned near anything.

(Once again checking for any hacking into computer notes.)

Nope.

You're just really good at the guess, Lup.

ilovesiriusblack:

**I'd almost forgotten about Tets good to see him back. So Thomas is going to have to travel very quickly? I dread to think how he is going to accomplish that, not very successfully I would imagine. As for Bo's day out I did suspect that it was the final chapter but I lived in hope that I was wrong. Looking forward to the next chapter, and a Happy new year to you as well.**

Well, you weren't the only one, Dear. It seems Orion's hyperactive little house elf was forgotten by several readers. But truly, he hasn't been in a story since Enemies, so that's understandable.

Indeed, he has to get where he's going fast. And as MasterLupin out guessed me, Floo Powder was the best choice.

Yup. Last chapter.

All reviews are as of 1/13/2008.

And remember;

In winter, why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complain about the heat?


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: See. I told you I was busy.

Two other things. First, how's this for exciting? This Saturday, guys, I auditioned for 'America's Got Talent', so wish me luck!

And second, if you don't know the reference in the title, that 'Too Much Information'.

And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: OC mine. Harry Potter Series Rowling.

**CHAPTER TEN: T.M.I.**

**PART ONE**

Thomas wasn't sure what to expect when he was called back into Loudmen's office, so he kept as alert as he could.

"Have a seat, Thomas." Loudmen said, indicating the chair before his desk where Thomas had sat before.

"Now what?" Thomas ask. "Are you going to go and arrest her?"

Loudmen leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers in front of him, shaking his head. "This is a matter that has to be handled very carefully, Thomas." The man informed him. "The first step was to make sure what you were telling me was the truth. So Patterson and Tedler here ran a check on you."

Thomas turned to glance at the two men behind him before turning a heated stare back to the man before him. "You think I'm lying?" He ask.

Loudmen met the statement with a calm, level voice. "The people involved here, Thomas, have reputations. Strong ones. I can't act on any of this without being sure you aren't just a teenager trying to get out of a foster home you're unhappy at."

"If I was just unhappy, I'd just leave." Thomas ground out between his teeth. "I was trying to help you by coming here."

"And we appreciate your actions, Thomas." Loudmen replied with a small smile. "And since your information has shown itself to have a high probability of being true, we are now going to move forward."

"So you're going to come back to the house and arrest her?"

The man behind the desk gave a small chuckle. "That's not how we do things, Thomas." He explained. "You have to understand something here, son." He added, leaning forward on the desk. "If this woman does turn out to be a Deatheater, she is a very dangerous woman. Make no mistake about that. She is living in the house of an top ranking Unspeakable, she is his wife, and she has managed to hold her cover for years. Taking her is not going to be a matter of walking up to the house, knocking on the door, and asking her if she would please accompany us to Azkaban. This woman is going to come out fighting the second she knows something isn't right. Which is where you come in."

"Me?" Thomas asked.

Loudmen nodded. "What I need you to do, son, is to help us keep this woman from knowing what's going on. Not let her get suspicious that we may be onto her and her accomplice. Where exactly do they think you are right now?"

"Katlin went shopping with the others." Thomas explained. "Mr. Black went to work. I suppose the house elf is suppose to be watching me."

"Not perfect, but better than nothing." Loudmen replied. "Thomas, I need you to go back to that house and act like nothing has happened. Don't let any one in that house know that you came to see us today or that you told us any of this. The element of surprise is the best weapon we have right now."

"I'm not afraid to go back." Thomas stated. "But exactly how long are you going to wait? She's already suspicious."

Loudmen sat back up in his chair. "How so?"

"The man...her husband...I heard him tell her that he thinks I suspect the dog isn't just a dog."

"And how did she respond to that?"

Thomas shrugged. "She sort of brushed it off. Told him he was imagining things."

Loudmen turned to the other two Aurors. "We may have a compromised situation already." He quickly turned back to the teenager before him. "All right, Thomas. You have a slightly harder role to play here then. I need you to keep a very close watch on the Deatheaters. See if anything about them...about their routines...changes. Anything that may indicate they're getting ready to take any sort of action. If so, you get word to me right away."

"That's easier said then done." Thomas replied.

"Meaning?"

"I don't have an owl. The Floo Powder I have is just enough to get me back to the house, and Mr. Black took my wand."

"He took your wand?" Loudmen ask, raising his eyebrows. "Why did he do that?"

"Because I defended my brothers and sisters with it against him."

"Black attacked you?"

Thomas sulked back in the chair. "Not exactly...and it's a long story."

Loudmen waved the incident aside. "No matter." He stated. Reaching into his desk, he pulled out a long, thin stick and laid it on his desk top. "Do you know what this is, Thomas?" He ask.

It took Thomas a second to realize the object was, in fact, a wand. A dark pine one with several markings carved into the handle and stem.

"It's a wand, sir." He stated simply, still looking the thing over. It certainly wasn't like any wand he'd ever seen.

"It's not just a wand, son." Loudmen explained. "It's an unregistered wand. They're almost impossible to get and they're magical signatures are practically untraceable. My department is the only one that has these little beauties...legally. This one...," he added, moving it across the desk until it rested at the edge in front of Thomas, "...I am giving to you."

Thomas slowly reached out and picked the wand up, staring at it in fascination. "You mean I could use this wand...and no one could ever prove it was me that had done the spell?"

Loudmen nodded. "But it's not for fun and games, Thomas." The man cautioned him. "Unregistered wands out of the hands of the Ministry is something they would take very seriously. You are only to use that if you have no other choice, is that understood?"

Thomas nodded as he quickly stuffed the wand into his pocket.

"The only other use I want you to have for it is to contact us if it becomes necessary. No communication sent by that wand can be traced back to either party. So we'll be able to send you messages as well. If the wand gives a low hum, you'll know we're trying to contact you. Get to a private place as soon as you can and conjure a small fire. We'll do the rest from our end."

-------------------------------------------------------

When Thomas arrived back at the house moments later, everything seemed to be going his way for a change. No dog and no house elf.

He took a careful look around the room just in case, not sure what he would say if he actually found either of them hiding behind the couch or so, but he also didn't want to walk around for the next few days wondering if he had been seen returning to the house via the fireplace.

But not seeing anything unusual, he quickly left the room and headed for the stairs.

As soon as the teenager walked out the door, a tower of dark robes appeared in the darkest corner of the room. Once more a soft sigh slightly ruffled the cloth in front of the boggart's face.

-----------------------------------------------

Three hours later Katlin returned with the other four children. Despite how much she wanted to show Thomas they did trust him, she tempered that want with a bit of common sense, telling herself that leaving any teenager alone for too long was not a good idea.

By four that afternoon Orion returned home, dropping his briefcase in the front foyer as he went to hang up his coat.

Almost as soon as the case hit the floor a tower of dark robes appeared, and levitating it off the floor, had it open and was rummaging through it before Orion had the time to turn around.

"Bo." He stated in an annoyed tone, handing his coat in the closet. "What are you doing?"

The boggart made a quick gesture in the air and went back to his task of what appeared to be emptying Orion's briefcase onto the floor one file page at a time.

"Well, it's not in there, is it?" He stated.

The boggart stopped his search and the case instantly hit the floor.

"And if that's what you want, why aren't you doing your dog impersonation? What if one of the kids sees you?" He added, pointing a finger at the errant boggart. "We'd have a pile of explaining to do then, wouldn't we?"

The boggart instantly made a series of quick gestures, then fell to standing perfectly still, waiting for a response.

Orion frowned at the statement. "What do you mean you 'have something to tell' me? Bo, nothing good ever comes out of you saying you 'have something to tell' me."

The boggart made a new series of gestures.

"All right." Orion crossed his arms over his chest. "Hit me."

Bo flew into a series of gestures so rapidly delivered that Orion doubted the average person could have followed them. A usual occurrence when the boggart was very agitated or very excited. Only years of experience, and being the originator of their manner of communication, had made it possible for Orion to be able to keep up at such times.

As he followed the information, a deep frown etched itself across his brow. "What do you mean 'he left'?" Orion ask. "How did he leave?"

Bo gestured quickly in the air.

"There was no Floo Powder. I confiscated it this morning for this very reason."

The boggart stood for a moment, as though assessing the information, then gestured again.

Orion waved it off. "All right, all right. Never mind. He found some somewhere. Let's move on to the million knut question. 'Where' did he go?"

The boggart stood motionless.

Orion waited, then drew a small circle in the air in front of him. "No, no. This is the part where you give me an answer, Bo. Not just stand there like a pile of laundry in desperate need of washing."

Bo made another quick gesture.

Orion's eyebrows shot up. "You don't know?" He asked in disbelief. "How can you not know?"

Bo gave a short series of gestures.

Orion sighed and shook his head before turning back to the boggart. "Bo, when I said 'watch him', that was not to imply only while he was in the house, or to watch him leave and then come back. If he left, I wanted to know where he went."

The boggart shrugged then quickly shifted to the large black dog, happily wagging it's tail across the foyer floor as it sat expectantly in front of him.

Orion sighed as he dug into his pocket. "You shouldn't really be getting anything, you four legged snooze alarm. But you did at least know he left, and that's a start, so here."

A large brown dog biscuit flew through the air, which the dog deftly caught in his teeth, then turned and happily marched off with towards the kitchen.

Orion sighed as he shook his head and headed off after him. So not only had Thomas disobeyed him, but he had made solid plans before hand in order to do it by stealing some of the Floo Powder. That suggested the teenager had had a set agenda. Somewhere he had to get to and he wasn't going to be stopped.

But where?

Poking his head into the kitchen showed that Katlin was not there, which, if the last few days were anything to go by, generally meant she was upstairs with someone, solving some current problem.

The night before it had been Vincent unable to find a favorite stuffed animal that he swore he had brought with him and he was terrified he had left at the place they were before coming to his house.

Thankfully, said stuffed toy was successfully located and everyone had a peaceful night.

Such was not the case when the same misfortune had befallen Katy the night before, and the errant object was not located until several hours later.

With a small smile Orion turned and headed back to the foyer. If he had ever had his doubts about their decision, Katlin had quickly routed them with her calm, unwavering dedication to the five orphans they had taken in. With little experience to draw on in her own life, Orion felt his wife personified the adage that some woman were just natural mothers. In ages from one to fourteen and everything inbetween, she somehow simply managed to keep everything running smoothly. And despite the trauma the five had been through, she seemed to be helping all five settle into their new environment. Which was a good thing, since even though it had been only a short time since the children had come to live with them, Orion was already having a very hard time imagining what life would be like without them anymore.

But currently he had two pressing problems of his own to sort out. One, where had Thomas gone that afternoon?

And two, who was making dinner?

**(PLEASE SEE CHAPTER ELEVEN FOR PART TWO.)**


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Notes and Disclaimer carried over from Chapter Ten.

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: TMI**

**PART TWO**

Upstairs Katlin was currently perched on the side of Lucy's bed while she was being treated to a fashion show of sorts.

Having been brought up as she had been in the lair half of her teenage life, clothing had never been one of her more major concerns. But Lucy was certainly bringing her up to speed on just how important the proper look was to a young girl. While they had been out she had gone on a slight splurge with her four charges and gotten a few things that hadn't quite been on the original list. Among them a soft new plush toy for Katy, which she had clung to the whole of the afternoon, and several new books for Vincent, which he argued only made sense since Lucy and Justin were going to be getting a whole load of new books when they went shopping with Katlin again for supplies for their start at school the following Fall. A trip Thomas would be taking with them at the time, Katlin had firmly resolved.

But that was a bridge to be crossed in the future.

Currently, Lucy's concerns were no where even near the realms of school robes or books. All she seemed interested in at the moment was Katlin's opinion of the grey skirt she was wearing with a pink, long sleeved sweater.

"It's not too short, is it?" She ask tentatively.

Katlin gave her a reassuring smile. Just heading into her teenaged years, Lucy was as uncertain of herself as any girl her age.

"It'll be fine." Katlin replied. "Even when you sit down I think it's still no more than three inches above your knee, Lucy."

Testing the theory, Lucy promptly sat on the bed next to her caretaker and examined the results. "Well, Thomas probably won't like it." She finally stated. "He says grey is for old ladies."

Katlin's eyebrows rose. "Your brother is handing out fashion advice?" She ask.

Lucy turned to her with a perfectly serious expression. "Haven't you noticed?" She replied. "Thomas freely hands out advice on everything."

Katlin gave her a small smile. "Actually, I have noticed that. He seems to be your self-appointed guardian."

"Thomas has made himself everyone's self-appointed guardian." She replied a bit forlornly. "Back at the home, he insisted we all stay in the one room together. I guess that was alright, because otherwise they were going to take me and Katy to another place to live until we were taken in by someone. And Thomas said if they separated us, it made it that much more unlikely we'd all be taken together. He said they're trying to separate us was just a way for them to try and make us look more attractive to prospective parents. No body wants five kids, but only two or three together isn't so bad." She added, her voice growing softer. "And if they succeeded in getting us adopted out like that, Thomas said we would likely have never seen each other again."

"Well, he kept you together." Katlin replied gently, seeing how upset just remembering the possibility of being separated from her remaining family made the girl. "And that was probably a good thing. You needed each other. But Orion and I knew there were five of you to start with, and we wouldn't have settled for less."

Katlin was rewarded with a small smile from the girl. "I'm really glad you and Orion wanted all of us." She said shyly. "Thomas said nobody would. We were too old, and the only one who they would even remotely want was Katy. And then they would take her away."

Katlin returned the tentative smile with a reassuring one of her own. "Orion and I never even discussed the possibility of not taking you all." She told her. "Five was a daunting number for first time parents, but we never wanted you separated."

"Are you really going to try and adopt all of us? I mean, so we can stay with you?"

"We're certainly going to try." Katlin replied, brushing an errant strand of hair back behind the girl's ear.

"Will you be our parents then?"

Katlin leaned down so she was eye level with the teenager. "We're not going to be trying to take your parents place, if that's what you're asking, Lucy." She answered. "No one can do that, and Orion and I don't even want to try. They were your parents, and I'm sure they loved you as much as you loved and miss them. And there's nothing wrong with that. It's the way it should be. All Orion and I want is the chance to love and take care of you and your brothers and sister too. To make sure you're happy, and provided for, and that no one ever hurts you. Orion and I will never be your parents in the conventional sense, but we'd like to be the next best thing. Would that be OK?"

The teenager seemed to give the question serious consideration before answering. "It's all right with me." She replied finally. "And I don't think you'll have much trouble convincing the others you'd make good parents...or caretakers...or whatever you'll be. Except maybe Thomas. He's been against everything from the beginning."

Katlin lowered her voice slightly. "He's been trying to protect you, Lucy. You and the others."

The girl got up off the bed with a frustrated sigh. "He's not protecting us, Katlin." She stated. "He's...he's making everything worse. If he had his way, we'd all be living under a bridge somewhere. Someplace nobody could find us. He's got these crazy ideas that somebody's after us. That the people who murdered...the reason our parents...were murdered...was because of some plot against us and that the same people are still after us. And that their going to hurt us as well."

Katlin met the girl's statement with a wide-eyed stare. Orion had said the Ministry felt the children's parents had been victims of a random attack. No purpose to it. Just the bad luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Only Orin Bale was holding out that the attack had not been random and that the two victims had been specifically targeted. A theory Orion said the Unspeakables were still working on to find proof of.

Proof that suddenly could be at her fingertips.

Holding a hand out she drew the now nearly distraught girl back on the bed beside her as she tried to calm her down. "Lucy, does your brother really feel that way? That someone's going to try and hurt you and your siblings?"

The girl sat back down and nodded slowly. "He told us one day at the other place that our father had told him once that he felt something bad was going to happen. And if it did, Thomas was to make sure we stayed together, and he was to protect us. And he keeps saying that whoever did this is still out there..., and that they're going to try again. That they want to kill all of us." The girl looked up at her, real fear showing in her eyes. "Do you think he's right, Katlin? Do you think someone is going to try and kill us?"

Katlin met the question with a fierce stare. All of her training and skills as a Deatheater coming to the forefront and wrapping themselves around her in a air of utter confidence.

"They're welcome to try." She replied in a flat, level voice. "But before they do, they'll have to get past me, and I don't think they'll find that a very easy nor a very pleasant task."

The girl leaned against her slightly. "Why would anyone want to hurt us?" She ask. "We haven't done anything to anyone. We don't have anything anyone wants."

Katlin paused as she caressed a hand over the girl's head, giving her a moment to recompose herself.

"Are you sure, Lucy?" She ask.

The girl turned to look up at her. "What do you mean?"

Being Voldemort's chief interrogator had it's advantages, Katlin thought, as she stared down at the girl. Through the years she had learned the skills to draw information out of people without their even knowing half the time what she was really looking for. Usually she viewed it as sort of a game. A chess match between her and her prisoner. Each move carefully calculated to make her opponent careless. Make them think you were working one strategy when you were really working another. She could be as deadly with words as her husband was with a wand in his hands.

And yet those were the same skills she was depending on now. Skills used to trick and deceive were now the same ones she needed to carefully seek out information that could lead them to whoever was responsible for the attack on this family.

"What I mean," Katlin replied carefully, "is I want you to think very hard for me. Can you think of any reason someone would have wanted to hurt your parents? Any reason they would want to hurt any of you?"

The girl started to answer, but Katlin stopped her by holding up a finger. "No." She coaxed gently. "Think for a minute. Think very hard for me. Does anything, no matter how small it seems, come to mind?"

Lucy fell into a silent contemplation as she thought over the question. But after several minutes, she slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry, Katlin." She said. "But I can't think of any reason. They just came...and started firing spells at the house. And our parents...they tried to stop them...or draw them away so we could get out..."

Katlin quickly drew the girl away from the memories that clearly still haunted her, no matter how deeply she tried to bury them.

"All right." She said. "Let's try something else. Maybe something that's there, but you don't see it."

The girl looked back up at her again. "Like what?"

"Common things." Katlin replied with a small smile. "Maybe your parents were involved in something they didn't want you to know about. Maybe they knew these people that attacked you. Maybe they were trying to help the law find them, and these people found out."

Lucy shook her head. "You make them sound like spies." She said. "My parents weren't spies, Katlin." She added, brushing a small tear off her cheek even as she smiled at the thought. "They were just common people. We would go out to eat, we went to movies, out on picnics...we were a normal family."

"Well," Katlin ask, "what did your parents do for a living? What sort of work did they do?"

Lucy gave a small laugh. "Boring, that's what. They both worked for the Ministry. For the records department."

"Had they always done that?"

Lucy nodded. "As far back as I know. That was where they met before they got married. Hardly the jobs spies would hold."

-----------------------------------------------

Having found a few moments of solitude in his room, Thomas had been laying on his bed listening to the conversation next door as he thought over their situation and what to do about it. He had listened to the conversation go from trivial to what he considered now a free handout of dangerous information. And in his opinion it had gone on long enough.

Why couldn't Lucy ever just listen to him and do as she was told? Didn't she understand yet that keeping silent about their life before the fire was simply for the best. His father had been warning him the last few weeks before the fire that he didn't want any of them discussing anything about what went on in their home with anyone outside the family. He had said there were those who might try questioning them, and they were to say nothing , but to let him know as soon as they could.

Whatever it had been that his father had been so on guard about, Thomas was sure it was the same thing that had led to their murders.

And there sat Lucy, playing Information Kiosk to one of the people who had likely murdered her parents.

Why couldn't she ever listen to him!?

Getting off the bed, Thomas went over to the door and listened.

"Sometimes," he heard Katlin's voice through the door, "the most inconspicuous jobs are the best ones for people to have if they don't want to be noticed. And can you think of a better place for someone trying to find information to work than in the records department of the Ministry of Magic?"

Lucy didn't make any replay, but Thomas could just imagine her wide-eyed expression as she took in everything the woman was saying to her, following along blindly and happily answering any question put to her.

"Did your parents ever talk about their work?" He heard Katlin's voice go on. "Did they ever bring any files or folders home? Keep any of them at the house?"

Thomas already knew the answer to that one. His father kept a lot of files at the house, storing them in a safe in his bedroom.

"They always were bringing stuff home from the office." He heard Lucy's voice answer as he gave a silent groan. Couldn't she ever even lie? "But it was just a bunch of old files. Stuff they said they were just throwing out."

Thomas knew that was what his father had told the others. But in the weeks before the fire, he had told him about the files in the safe, and that if anything were to happen, he was to make sure they were kept safe.

Thankfully, the others had never shown much more than a passing interest in the mysterious files. But the Deatheater had latched on to that seemingly innocuous piece of information as a hidden treasure.

"If your parents were going to throw the files out, " she ask, "then why did they bring them home?"

Thomas had heard enough. He had to do something to put a stop to his sister's information free-for-all. Simply opening the door and asking her to come over to his room would alert the Deatheater there was a problem. Quite frankly, he could only see one way to put a stop to the conversation.

Bursting through the door, Thomas entered the room with fire in his eyes.

"What are you doing?" He asked, directing the question right at his sister.

Lucy met the question with her own ire, staring down her brother as she got to her feet. "I'm talking to Katlin. Do you mind?" She stated.

"As a matter of fact, I do." He stated, lowering his voice while losing none of the force behind it. "I've told you...all of you...we're not suppose to talk about...certain things with people...with anyone!"

"I'm not doing anything wrong!" Lucy defended. "And there's nothing wrong with telling Katlin this stuff. She's trying to help."

Thomas gave his sister a short, derisive laugh. "Help? Are you honestly that stupid? She not trying to help you, Luce. She's pumping you for information, you idiot."

Lucy gave him a seriously questioning look. "What do you mean? She just asking some questions, Thomas. Maybe they can help find out who attacked us. Who murdered our parents."

Thomas laughed again. "Boy, you are dense." He stated empirically. "She doesn't need to guess, Luce! She already knows!"

"You're the dense one!" Lucy fired back. "How could she know?"

"She knows because she's a Deatheater!"

**Q&A**

MasterLupin:

**I don't think Thomas realizes that Hell hath no fury like a women scorned, he is doing that right now by exploiting the trust that Katlin has demonstrated in him. I also think that Orion will lay down some pain as well considering that he specficaly told Thomas not to leave the house. Then Thomas goes and tells the aurors that his wife is a death eater thus starting an investigation into his personal life. I wonder what will happen in the short term when Orion comes home and Bo gives his report, nothing good I would expect.  
I think that at this point Thomas will start trying to assist the Auruor investigation by sneaking around the house trying to dig up dirt.**

Thomas is indeed serious exploiting Katlin's trust. Currently, however, she has no idea it's being exploited. How she responds when and if she finds out is a large part of this story.

Well, currently Orion is more interested in finding out where Thomas went than is he interested in the boy having broken any rules. And poor Bo isn't much help. Once again we run into the ever present 'Ya' should have been a bit more specific' thing with our favorite boggart.

Well, based on the end of this chapter, I'm not so sure how much 'help' Thomas is being to the Aurors investigation.

Skahducky:

**Oh no, what has Thomas started? This could turn out really badly, although I guess all Orion and Katlin have to say when the Aurors come is that Bo is a boggart. Anyway, I'm really interested to see how this all plays out. Please update soon!**

What Thomas has started is this really small snowflake rolling down a very, very deeply snow covered mountain side. And it's picking up a considerable amount of speed.

Well, that would explain the boggart. But that doesn't prove he was the one she was seen talking to. Granted, they could stand him up in front of Thomas and say 'Look familiar?'. But there are several problems with that. One, the hallway was dark. Two, Thomas is very much into the idea right now of the two (three?) being Deatheaters. It's going to take a lot more than producing a similar looking boggart to make him say 'Maybe I was wrong'. Three, Thomas would likely go right to the 'They've hid the real one and slipped in a look-a-like to cover themselves', which would also have him then thinking Orion was a Deatheater as well. And four, Orion is serious not into the idea of having Bo get involved in anything dealing with the Ministry. He. in fact, wants the boggart kept as far away from them as possible. A point that is dealt with in this story and the reasons for that, which, I think, are actually pretty obvious.

Stay tuned, Dear. Because how this plays out is the subject of the next few chapters.

Oh, and I'll see what I can do about Family Ties. Maybe I'll stick up another chapter or two just for you, Dear. Little 'preview' thing. But currently I need to get through this story first, as that it has ties to the third Family story arc and, without it, there are something's you may not understand.

ilovesiriusblack:

**I can not see this ending well for Thomas, I do feel kind of sorry for him, Orion is being a bit of an idiot. Hope to see more from Bo and Tets soon, cool chapter!**

Actually, what Orion is being is overbearing. But considering his own father and thus, the only example of being a father he has to draw on, he's doing pretty good. That's not to say he's being a good father. Just that he's doing a really good impersonation of his own.

Tet's is not so much in this story anymore. He's sort of 'done his thing'. But you will definitely see more of Bo.

CelticHeiressFiona:

**Great chapter! I love it. Thomas has good intentions. He really wants to keep his borthers and sisters safe like his father told him, even if we know the truth. Dramatic irony. I love this little literary device. Again great chapter! **

Why thank you, Dear. And indeed, Thomas is simply trying to do what his father told him. And he's trying to do it as well as a Fourteen year old knows how.

Silverfox:

**giggles You are a deatheater, Tets! Oh, I wish the elf could have heard that!  
m ... So ten unannounced Aurors are going to invade Bo's home while he's already upset about the invasion of five children? I see trouble ahead. ;)  
We have Nikolaus here, but he only brings fruits, nuts and some chocolate (in sacksor boots). No stockings involved in our Christmas traditions at all.  
Mum had a habit of confusing Nikolaus traditions with the Easter Bunny ones, so I usually had to search for my nuts and fruits and found the Easter eggs on the kitchen table in the morning. (Got a failing grade on a German test that asked for 'An Easter Experience' when I was ten because of it, though.)**

Poor Tets. He tries so hard and always seems to get it wrong. One wonders what would happen if he ever actually caught a Deatheater?

As stated before, Bo likes new things...in moderation. 'Too much, too soon' is a very bad combination with him. And ten people suddenly bursting into his home, wands drawn, and making threatening gestures at his 'people' is not good. Just remember the Deatheaters who tried the same thing back in Enemies.

We always got chocolate coins left in our wooden shoes. Man, that was just the best!

Ah, the good old days!

All reviews are as of 1/18/2008.

And remember;

PAR is very sick right now, folks (see Author's Page), so please understand delays.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Why would I want to plagiarize Rowling? My stuff is MUCH better! Just because the people in charge of publishing don't appear to agree with me is not my problem.

**CHAPTER TWELVE: THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD TRICK!**

Orion stopped short in the doorway to Lucy and Katy's bedroom, his eyes fixing a hard stare on the boy standing in front of his sister looking for all the world like he wasn't sure if he should run or stay put.

"What...," he ask in a very low, succinct voice, "did you call my wife?"

Thomas carefully fingered the wand he had tucked into his pocket and took a deep breath, ready to face the man down. He had no idea at that moment just how many Deatheaters he was facing, but hopefully, if things turned out for the worse, the odds would stand two to two.

Thomas focused hard on keeping his voice steady. "She's a Deatheater." He repeated.

Orion crossed his arms over his chest. At the very least Thomas was grateful that at the moment he didn't appear to be going for his wand.

"And you would know this because...?"

Thomas took another deep breath, his fingers staying close to the wand. "I saw her." He stated.

"You saw my wife being a Deatheater? Where were you? At a meeting?"

Thomas frowned at the comment. "I saw her talking to her accomplice."

"Accomplice?"

"The dog."

Of all the reactions Thomas expected, having the man sudden burst out laughing was not one of them.

"Bo!?" He stated. "You're accusing Bo of being a Deatheater as well?"

"Your dog is an animagus." Thomas informed him. "I saw him transform one night at the top of the stairs. And he started talking to her..." he added, pointing at Katlin, "...in some sort of code. And she answered him, so she knew the code as well."

Orion studied the teenager for a few moments. "And is that it?" He ask. "Is that all the evidence you have to present in regard to the very serious accusation you have just hurdle at my wife?"

"Is that all?" Thomas ask in disbelief. "Isn't that enough?!"

Orion crossed his arms over his chest and gave the boy an exasperated stare. "Do me a favor." He stated. "If you ever have thoughts of joining up with the Unspeakables, don't."

"Why not?" Thomas ask with a deep frown.

"Because as far as we're concerned, what you just gave me barely qualifies as circumstantial evidence. And if an Unspeakable did deem it worth his time, he would have gone a lot deeper than you obviously have before he'd have made an accusation even half as serious as the one you're playing around with."

Not caring much for the tone he was being addressed in, Thomas glared back at the man. "Well, the Ministry Aurors didn't seem to need much more." he blurted out.

Orion narrowed his eyes at the boy. "And what, exactly, does that mean?"

Thomas, already aware he had once again said way more than he should have, was quickly backpedaling mentally to try and cover himself. "Well...," he started, working hard to find something feasible to tell the man, "when...when the Aurors came...after the fire...and they questioned all of us...they felt, even from what little we could tell them, that it was still enough to more than implicate the Deatheaters in killing our parents."

"And I am not going to stand here and malign some very good witches and wizards to you." Orion stated. "There are some very good Aurors. Good people and good at what they do. My own brother is one. Both my parents are Aurors. I have nothing but respect for them. But sometimes there are some of them that are simply a little too eager to blame everything bad that happens on the Deatheaters. And just for your information, the Unspeakables do not, in fact, believe the Deatheaters were responsible for that attack. But the Ministry simply isn't ready yet to listen, much less believe, that there could be someone else out there who is just as dangerous, if not more so, than they are."

"Who?!" Thomas spoke up quickly. "Who do the Unspeakables think killed my parents!?"

"Right now, we're not sure. But we do not believe it was the Deatheaters, Thomas. And as for my house being Voldemort's lair, let's get that straight right now."

Orion stated. "And in so far as that goes, Bo is not a Deatheater, nor is he an animagus."

"He is!" The boy replied firmly. "I saw him transform."

"And that makes him an animagus." Orion ask calmly, a small hint of amusement in the question.

Thomas regarded him carefully. "What else does it prove?"

"Blessed little from where I stand."

"You just don't want to believe it." Thomas pressed on. "Because if I'm right about that, then she," he added, pointing to where Katlin still sat on the bed, "is a Deatheater as well."

Katlin's eyes shifted slowly to her husband. "Orion...?"

Orion raised his hand to stop her from saying anything more. "So my dog is an animagus and my wife is a Deatheater?" He ask. "You're sure about that?"

Thomas nodded quickly.

Orion gave a small laugh. "Bo." He called.

From behind him Orion heard four paws hurrying down the hallway. In seconds the large black dog was seated at his side, tongue lolling out to one side as he gazed up at the man next to him.

Orion reached down and gave the dog an affectionate scratch behind the ears. "Bo." He said, standing back up, "Show Thomas what you really look like."

If it was possible for a dog to look surprised, Bo did a very good job of it as he regarded his Channeler.

"Go ahead." Orion answered the questioning look. "Show him."

The dog dropped his head for a moment, his eyes never leaving the teenager before him. But in an instant, the form of the dog dropped away, practically dissolving into the floor before the small pool of black, shimmering light shot up again, nearly to the ceiling, and finally gathered about itself into the familiar form in flowing black robes of Orion's boggart.

Thomas stood in shocked silence as he stared at the dark robed figure before him.

Oh, he had seriously miscalculated the situation. The man wasn't ignorant of his wife being a Deatheater and the dog being her accomplice. He was a part of it!

"So now you think I'm a Deatheater as well?" Orion ask, easily reading the teenager's reaction to the new situation.

'Deny everything until you can get a message to the Ministry'. That became the new plan as far as Thomas was concerned.

"No, sir." He answered as normally as he could manage.

"Sir?" Orion ask, raising his eyebrows at the boy. "Now there's a word I wasn't sure you had made the acquaintance of yet."

"I've obviously made a mistake." Thomas replied casually.

Orion shook his head slightly. "And you don't lie very well either." He replied. "Now listen to me, Thomas." He stated, fixing the boy with a level stare. "I am not a Deatheater. Nor is Bo a Deatheater, or an animagus."

Thomas' gaze shifted slightly over to where the boggart still silently stood.

Raising a robe covered hand, the boggart waved at him, giving a soft trill.

"Bo." Orion said, "Show Thomas some of your tricks. He'd like to see them." The Unspeakable turned his gaze back to the boy. "Wouldn't you. Thomas?"

All Thomas could think to do was nod slightly.

The boggart turned to his Channeler.

"Go on." Orion repeated, making several quick gestures in the air before him. "Show him what you can do."

Pausing for a moment, the shape of the boggart suddenly disappeared. In it's place now stood a small, black haired child of about six. A few seconds later the form shifted again, now becoming a tall man with long black hair who bore a striking resemblance to Orion, but somewhat older. But even as Thomas noted the change, the form shifted again, and this time he found himself facing an identical copy of himself.

Thomas actually jumped back slightly at the transformation. His other self gave a small smile, the transformed back into the tower of dark robes.

"All right." Orion stated, turning once more to the boggart. "Now show him that really good one you like to do."

Thomas watched with a slight amount of anticipation as Orion held his hand out. The boggart turned to him, as though studying the situation for a moment, then quickly dissolved into a swirl of black light and smoke, which quickly form itself into a small black ball which hovered over Orion's outstretched hand for a moment, then unceremoniously dropped into it, landing as a beautifully decorated china teacup and saucer.

"Pretty good, huh?" Orion stated as Thomas stared at the transformation with wide-eyed fascination. "All right, Bo." He added, addressing the teacup, "Grand finale, right?"

Without warning Orion tossed the teacup and saucer up into the air, both making a slight arch as they then headed right for the floor. But just a breath above disaster, both were enveloped in the familiar column of black smoke and where the remnants of the setting should have been now stood the tower of dark robes.

Orion stared up at the boggart for a moment with a small smile before turning it back to the teenager before him.

"Know of many animagus' who can do that?" He ask.

Thomas didn't think he could have answered the man if he tried, still staring wide-eyed at the tower of dark robes and trying to sort out what he had just seen.

"He's...he's not a Deatheater?" Thomas half asked, half stated in a slightly strangled sounding voice. "Then what is he?"

Orion turned to the boggart for a moment, then back to the boy before him. "Bo is my families boggart." He explained. "Been with us for decades."

Thomas quickly shook his head. "No boggart can do all that."

"Well, now you've met one who can." Orion replied. "Bo is a very sophisticated boggart. He's been around for a very long time and he's learned a few things living with my family."

"Why isn't he hiding behind doors, or in cellars...trying to scare us or something?" Thomas ask. "That's what boggart's are suppose to do."

Orion gave the boy a placating smile. "He'll get around to that later. Right now he's just trying to...figure you out."

"Figure me out?"

"All of you, really. Bo isn't very good with new things. They can sometimes upset or frighten him if its too much of a change. But in small doses, and at his own pace, he'll get use to having you and your siblings here and he'll likely find you extremely entertaining."

Thomas raised one eyebrow. "Entertaining?"

Orion gave him another small, knowing smile. "He just loves to play."

Thomas was pretty certain he did not like the sound of any of this. "Is he going to attack me?"

Orion considered the question, then turned to Bo. "Bo, you have any plans to attack Thomas?"

The boggart turned to the teenager, then made a gesture in the air, clearly directed at the boy.

"Bo wants to know if you'd like him to." Orion translated.

Thomas quickly shook his head.

The boggart paused, then made another few gestures in the air, this time directed at his Channeler.

"Well," Orion answered, "maybe next time."

"Why doesn't he talk?" Thomas quickly ask, causing Orion to turn back to him with a slight frown.

"He's a boggart." He answered. "Have you ever met any that did?"

"Where did he learn to gesture like that?"

Orion gave the boy a pleased smile. "I taught him. And if you care to converse with him, you'll have to learn his language as well. Personally, I think you'll find Bo a very interesting person to talk to."

Thomas gave the man a look that clearly stated he doubted that possibility very much.

"Now that we have that settled," Orion added, "lets get a few points very clear here. My boggart is not a Deatheater. I am not a Deatheater. And my wife is..."

"A Deatheater." A voice very clearly cut him off.

**Q&A**

MasterLupin:

**Well dinner is an important question.**

**It looks like Thomas just bet the house before the river was dealt out, not a smart move. Espionage and counter espionage is like a game of no holds Texas hold'em, you never know who has what until it is all laid out on the table, by which time it is too late. It's even worse if you show your hand to everyone on the table before the proper time.  
With this now open declaration and accusation, Thomas has just placed himself in the open with no cover, not a good place on a battle field. It will of course lead Katlin to wander how Thomas knows her deepest secret, which she has kept well hidden up to this point. What has lead Thomas to believe it was death eaters that attacked the kids, and how much information dose he posses about the content and whereabouts of the safe full of files. It will also bring to the forefront where he went this afternoon, and who he was in contact with.  
I think that Thomas just forced Orion and Katlin to confront him in what they will think is a preemptive strike on his plan. This of course, will lead Thomas to believe that the jig is up and that the death eaters will be there to finish them off in moments now that "their" cover is blown. This will leave Thomas with that he will perceive are only two options. 1) Contact Aurors post haste, and attempt to hold a defendable position in the house until the Calvary saves the day, with the possibility that Orion will assist in defending them against who he will now know is his death eater wife. 2) do nothing, or attempt to fight alone, or attempt an escape which would inevitably fail, and he and his family die.  
Thomas will obviously take the only win option that he sees, number one, and will hope for the best.  
Hope you are doing well.**

I always thought so.

The boy's days as an undercover operative are indeed numbered.

But ya' gotta hand it to the kid. He ran for cover like a mouse with a cat on his tail. And he did a fairly decent job of covering himself despite the fact that he seemed bound and determined to keep sticking his foot in his mouth.

What led Thomas to believe that it was Deatheaters that attacked his family were the comments he overheard the Aurors making while they were questioning him and his siblings.

And all he knows about said files were that they were in the house somewhere and his father indicated they were important.

Actually, where he went that afternoon and who he saw is the one secret he has managed to hang onto...so far.

What Thomas does with this new information is a large part of the next chapter, so I can't comment on it directly. But he definitely feels he is in between the proverbial rock and hard place.

As well as can be expected, Dear. Thank you for asking.

Silverfox:

**So much for Thomas the undercover agent. I'm really worried what he's going to do with that wand now.  
And personally I think Orion is reacting just right to Thomas at least. That boy with a wand is dangerous.  
If Tets ever catches a real deatheater, I really hope Bo or Orion is around to protect him from any dark spells. ;)**  
**I occasionally got chocolate coins from Grandma, but usually Nikolaus chocolate was mostly little Nikolaus and Krampus figures and Milka Naps.  
(Not sure I'd call them good old days ... Well, maybe before I was six. I can't remember that time too clearly, but Mum thinks I was having a happy childhood until then.)**

The kid has definitely put a huge black mark on his Undercover Agent CV.

What he's going to do with the wand is his dangest to hold onto it without Orion finding out he has it.

Well, if you'll recall, Tets has captured a real Deatheater. Katlin. (Go back to Enemies.) And what did he do with her? Brought her breakfast in bed. With that sort of treatment, it's a wonder he doesn't have 'em lining up at the front door.

Childhood is a rapidly fading memory for me. Not much left before the age of eighteen.

ilovesiriusblack:

**Does Katlin have the Dark mark? I can't remember. Thomas has just made a huge mistake I think and I am unsure of his motivation, knowledge is power after all and if Katlin really was out to get them wouldn't he have just put his sister in serious danger? Eagerly awaiting the next chapter.**

WHOA! Well, who's going to get the 'good question of the week' award this time?! (That would be you, Dear, just in case you were wondering.)

Does Katlin still have the dark mark?

What a really good question!

Actually, no, she does not. She removed it using Harry's latent magical ability back in Runaway. Her reasons for doing so were her own and were never really discussed up to this point. So you get a heads up over everyone else here.

Back in Runaway, along with everything else she was trying to accomplish, Katlin saw opportunity knocking on the front door when Voldemort tried to summon her back to the lair and Harry offered to help her break free of that. Now, all in all, Harry had no real idea what was going on, and yes, it was very naughty of Katlin to use the poor boy for her own ends. But I never claimed the woman was any sort of saint.

What Katlin did, simply put, was to use her healing ability, coupled to Harry's latent magical ability to rid herself of the dark mark. Her own natural healing ability saw the mark as a scar or disfigurement of her body, but it needed Harry's magic to wipe it out. Katlin simply didn't have the strength to do it herself. If you remember that scene, the dark mark actually transferred to Harry's arm, then disappeared. The strength of his magic drew it out of her body, transferred it to his, and then destroyed it.

It was sneaky and a little underhanded on her part, but she did it knowing full well Harry would never suffer from it.

So, as stated, opportunity knocked, and she ran to answer the door. And finding our justifications where we need to, Katlin would be quick to point out Harry did offer to help her stop the pain she was suffering from the summoning.

Now, very briefly, WHY did she want the dark mark removed? Simple. It broke Voldemort's second tightest grip on her. It was actually just one on a long line of her steps away from his influence and control.

So if that is the 'second' tightest hold he has on her, what's number one?  
Her sense of loyalty to him.

All reviews are as of 01/03/2008.

And remember;

Go Giants! (Solely because the Patriots have won enough Superbowls.)


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I have no explanation why I enjoyed writing this chapter so much. I just did.

Also, you'll note that there is no Q&A at the end of the story anymore. It is now 'Summaries'. There's a reason for that. Mostly, the site no longer allows Q&A.

And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: You know the drill. Not mine, no money involved.

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: TELLING TRUTHS**

Orion turned his stare to the woman standing behind Thomas. "Katlin?"

"They've been through enough, Orion." His wife replied in a calm, unwavering tone. "They need to know that we aren't going to lie to them. I won't start this relationship off, building it on a pack of lies."

Thomas turned to face the woman behind him. "You're a Deatheater." He stated, again making it half question and half statement.

Katlin turned her full attention to the teenager. "Yes, I am Thomas. And I have been for over half my life. And I'm not ashamed of what I am. Nor am I going to lie to you or your siblings about it."

"Why did you join them?" He ask, making the question sound like an accusation with his reemerging hatred fueling it.

Katlin fixed a solid stare on him. "A long time ago, Thomas," she explained, "I was in a situation similar to yours. I had lost my parents in a fire."

"It's not the same!" The boy stated firmly. "Our parents were murdered."

Katlin kept the same, steady gaze fixed on him. "You're right." She replied calmly. "It's not the same. You believe you have someone to lay your parents murders at the feet of. Someone you can blame. Someone you can hate. The person responsible for murdering my parents doesn't even have a face, let alone a name."

The boy paled slightly. "Murdered?"

Katlin nodded. "My parents didn't just die, Thomas. They were murdered. Just as yours were. And just as brutally. Only two things separate our situations. One, I had no one to share my pain with. You at least have your brothers and sisters. And two, you came out of your ordeal relatively physically unharmed."

Thomas looked the woman over. "You don't look very injured."

Katlin gave him a small smile. Instantly a small glow appeared at her feet, which quickly grew into a glowing circle that rose up and engulfed the woman it encircled. A second later the light fell again to the floor, leaving behind the crippled, scarred, incapacitated body that was Katlin Griss.

"Looks are deceiving." A small voice rasped out from behind a small opening in the scarred over face that barely resembled a mouth anymore.

Thomas couldn't stop himself from physically drawing back from the figure as a slight gasp escaped him. Even Lucy pulled back from where she still sat on the bed behind her. But before either could react further, the small glowing circle of light that lay at the figure's feet shot upwards again and engulfed the fragile body.

When it fell away, the tall, elegant, statuesque woman again stood before them.

"Count your blessings." She stated flatly.

Thomas quickly recomposed himself. "Why tell us this?" He ask, indicating his sister, still sitting on the bed behind Katlin. "Your husband made a good case for you're not being a Deatheater. Why are you so determined to prove otherwise?"

Katlin stared back at him. "I explained that. One, I'm not ashamed of who or what I am, Thomas. And two, I am not going to build my family out of a pack of lies. Even in something as important as this, Orion and I are not going to lie to you."

Thomas pointed back to Orion. "He was going to."

"Orion was trying to protect me." Katlin replied. "He was going to do what he felt was best."

"Lying is never right." The boy replied firmly.

Katlin gave him a small, patronizing smile. "That's very nice in theory, Thomas."

"Theory?"

"In the real world, it doesn't always work out so nicely. Sometimes you have to gage the truth against what is gained by revealing it. And sometimes that answer is that by telling the truth, not only is nothing gained, but people are hurt. In that situation, what is the truth's overall value?"

"So what's the value to you in telling us the truth?" He ask.

Katlin fixes a solid stare on him. "That someday in the future," She answered levelly, "when you're faced with a decision of who to trust, you'll remember that, even though it cost me a secret very few people know, I told you the truth."

"You're a Deatheater." Thomas replied. "A whole lair full of people know that."

"A whole lair full of people don't know what I truly look like, Thomas." She replied quietly. "That is my secret."

The teenager stared at her for a moment, his face slowly hardening into a mask of hatred again. "Don't expect me to feel sorry for you." He practically spat back at her. "As far as I'm concerned, you got what you deserved. What all Deatheaters deserve. And as far as I care, I hope they haul you and all your kind off to Azkaban."

Katlin's gaze shifted briefly to her husband, who had taken a step forward. But one look warned him off. This was her fight, and she had to fight it alone.

And she had to win it.

"What I deserve?" She ask slowly. "Well tell me, Thomas, in your fine justice, what did a fifteen year old girl do to deserve this? Because that's how old I was when this happened to me. And so for all my many sins at the age of 15, before I even joined the Deatheaters, in your perfect justice, I got what I deserved? I deserve to live the rest of my life in pain? I deserve to look like I do?"

Thomas met her stare. "You don't look like you're in pain."

"You weren't listening." Katlin replied. "Looks can be deceiving. Just like everything else. And I don't live one second of one day that I don't feel pain in some way."

For once Thomas remained silent, but still staring at the woman before him with nothing but hatred.

Katlin gave a small sigh and crossed her arms in front of her as she met his gaze. Time to try a new tactic.

"You're absolutely convinced my people killed your parents?" She asked.

Thomas nodded.

"Why?"

"I told you. I heard the Aurors talking the day they interviewed us. They said it was the Deatheaters."

"Did they say it 'was' the Deatheaters, Thomas, or did they say they 'suspected' it was the Deatheaters?"

"Was." He answered resolutely.

Katlin shook her head. "Think before you answer." She replied. "Don't answer with your hatred. Think back. What did these men say?"

Thomas started to answer again, but stopped as he thought very hard about the conversation he had heard.

"They were standing in a side room. I was sitting outside. They had just questioned me. I heard one of them talking to the other Auror in the room and he said that they felt they had all the evidence they needed just from what I had told them to be able to say the Deatheaters had been responsible for the attack."

"'To be able to say'?" Katlin ask. "That sounds more to me like someone wanting the pieces to fit together a certain way than someone looking for the truth."

"The people who attacked us were wearing black robes." Thomas pointed out.

"So do half the people in Diagon Alley." Katlin answered. "Are they all Deatheaters?"

The teenager stopped before he spoke again. "They were attacking us." He stated finally.

"And that makes them Deatheaters?"

"Then prove it wasn't." He challenged her.

Katlin gave him another small smile. "I'd love nothing better." She replied. "But even with all the evidence I have to the contrary, I doubt you'll believe me."

"I'll listen." He answered firmly.

Katlin thought for a moment, then agreed with a small nod.

"Do you know what an 'Elite' is, Thomas?" She asked him.

The boy nodded. "They're the dark lord's top ranking members. The best he has. People say they're absolutely ruthless. They have no mercy. No feelings. All they do is kill. They're assassins."

Katlin shook her head as she gave a small laugh. "What rot." She stated.

"Is true." The boy stated.

"It's not true." She countered. "They are not heartless, merciless killers. They are not assassins. And although they are very good fighters for the most part, I can name one right off who personally isn't worth his weight in pig poop."

"How would you know?"

Katlin leaned down until she was eye level with him. "Because I'm an Elite, boy." She replied. "And I am no one's bloody assassin. What I am is a spy and an interrogator. The best the dark lord has. And I'm not just an Elite." Katlin added. "I am the leader of that group. They answer to me. And in that role, I can tell you without question, my people had nothing to do with the attack on your family."

"That's a lie!" Thomas stated automatically.

"It's not a lie, Thomas!" Katlin fired back just as decisively. "I know that's what you want to believe. But it was not them. It was someone else. If it had been my people, I would have known. They could never have carried out such an attack without my knowledge. And if it had been my people, I would have been able to stop that attack."

"Why?"

"Because I would never have condoned an attack on children. It's the act of cowards to attack someone weaker than yourself."

Thomas stared back at her, his expression still as hard as stone. "It doesn't matter." He stated. "I know all about your kind. I know what you do. You kill other witches and wizards."

"And I'm not going to lie to you, Thomas, and tell you that the Deatheaters haven't done some very horrible things. But they are not all like you think of them. In every group there are good and bad people. But we have our ideals. And we have our beliefs. Beliefs we are willing to fight for."

"And you believe in killing others of our kind."

Katlin stood back up and stared down at him. "Some of us do, Thomas. But that wasn't the way things started out. My people aren't what they use to be. They don't all believe what I believe in anymore." Her expression grew slightly sad. "Things have changed over time, and I am the first one to admit that. Voldemort isn't the man he use to be. His ideas have been twisted into things even I can't condone half the time."

"So what changed?" He ask.

Katlin paused. Now there was a question! How did she explain it without putting to route everything she had just told him? If she told him Voldemort's ideals seemed to have made a sharp turn for the worse after his attack on the Potter child, that would simply bring him right back to the Deatheaters actually being willing to attack children, and therefore, right back to his believing it was her people who were responsible for the attack.

"People." She finally replied simply. "People change, Thomas. Sometimes for the better. Sometimes not."

Orion took a step into the room, drawing the teenager's attention immediately.

"Well," he stated, "the phrase I believe they use is 'the ball is now in your court'. So what's it going to be, Thomas?"

Thomas was pretty sure the man did not want to hear what he thought. So he instead gave what he felt was a more appropriate answer.

"I'm not sure. I'll...I have to think about it."

"Try not to think about it too long." Orion replied. "But understand this." He added in a deadly serious tone, "what you know about my wife is very dangerous information. With it, without question, you could send her to Azkaban, where she would most certainly be given 'The Kiss', after which she would be worse off than dead. You think long and hard about that before you do anything more."

Thomas paused, then finally gave Orion a slow nod, perfectly certain that, although not a word was said, the threat was there nonetheless.

Taking the opportunity, he quickly backed out of the room and back into his own. If nothing else, he had to get in contact with Martin Loudmen tonight. With the knowledge out that he knew who she was, Thomas wasn't certain anymore what Katlin might do.

But even as the thought came, another came up right along with it.

What would she do?

From all he could tell, Katlin had been honest with him. She hadn't denied who or what she was, even though she easily could have and no one would have known any differently but him. The others would have believed her most likely, and he would have looked like the malcontent of the group trying to make trouble.

But instead she had admitted to his accusation of being a Deatheater, and more, and done so even in front of Lucy. And her explanation of the attack not being the work of the Deatheaters sounded plausible.

Laying back on his bed, Thomas focused his attention on the ceiling.

What if she was telling the truth? Orion's last words to him echoed in his mind. When the Auror's came, she'd be captured, and she'd go to Azkaban, where they would let the Dementors have her. Undoubtedly they'd let them give her 'The Kiss'. And then she'd be locked in that living death for years. A shell with no soul.

'She deserves it'. He told himself firmly, trying to gain back his resolve.

The image of the scarred, twisted body rose back up in his mind. She told him she had only been fifteen years old. And she had lived every day of her life since like that.

He gave himself a good shake. He was going soft, feeling sorry for her.

Her people killed his parents. Tried to kill all of them. She was just as guilty by association.

But a familiar question stopped his train of thought.

If that was the case, he had ask himself over and over the past few days, what had she gained by coming to their rescue?

It was the one thing he couldn't reconcile completely to fit into his idea of how things were.

Why had she tried to save them?

-------------------------------------------------------

Back in the two girls room, Orion watched as his wife turned and left without any further discussion on the matter. Something that spoke more than any words could as to just how upset she was by the new turn of events. He decided to give her a few moments, then go see if he couldn't help reassure her that he would keep her safe. That no matter what the boy tried, he wouldn't let anyone take her from him.

But just before he turned to leave, he caught the girl on the bed still sitting there, staring at him with two wide eyes.

"Well?" He ask.

"Is Katlin going to hurt us?" She ask simply.

Orion almost answered automatically before stopping himself. "What do you think?" He ask instead.

Lucy seemed to give the question some very serious thought. "If Katlin wanted to hurt us, she could have done so a dozen times already. We've been alone with her a lot. And even...even...'Bo'...has never really ever tried to hurt us." She added, searching for the boggart's name in relation to it's new meaning for her.

"You haven't answered the question yet." He pointed out.

Lucy paused again, but finally shook her head. "No, I don't. But I'm not sure Thomas believes her, or that he won't try and convince Justin or Vincent to believe his side of things."

"Your brother is simply a little confused right now, Lucy." He replied. "And I'm not saying he doesn't have a right to be. But don't worry. We'll get this straightened out, I promise you. And we won't try and coerce anyone in the end. Tomorrow Katlin and I will sit down with all of you and we'll explain things to you, while you're all together. Then each of you can decide for yourselves what you want to believe. And if you decide you don't want to stay here, I'll personally make sure all of you are taken care of and that you stay together. You won't have to go back into the care of agency. All right?"

The girl considered his answer, then gave a small nod.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Still unsure of what to believe, Thomas knew the one thing he couldn't do was sit about doing nothing. His original ideas were safe and comfortable, and he was currently letting them lead his actions. Katlin was a Deatheater, she and her kind had killed his parents, and they needed to pay for what they had done.

But every other step he still found himself hesitating as new, less sure thoughts were rapidly taking over his other ones.

What if she had been telling the truth? If it hadn't been the Deatheaters, then just like she had said, someone else was out there. Someone who still wanted to hurt them. And if it had been the Deatheaters, why had Katlin, an Elite, tried to stop the attackers?

Still wrestling with his indecision, Thomas quietly slipped out of his room a few hours later and made his way down the stairs. The house was quiet now with Justin and Vincent already in the room sound asleep.

Hurrying across the foyer he made it to the back area of the house, and, sure he hadn't been followed, he quickly pulled out his wand and lit a small fire.

Within a few seconds the face of Martin Loudmen materialized.

"Sir, it's Thomas Belker." He said in a whispered voice.

"Belker?" Loudmen ask, quickly placing the name. "What is it? Is there some problem?"

Thomas gave a small sigh. "You could say that." He replied. "And I have to talk fast. They could come down here any minute and find me."

"All right. Talk."

Thomas took a deep breath. "I...there was a problem." He started. "The Deatheater found out I know who she is."

Loudmen didn't say anything for a moment. "And now?"

"She says I have it all wrong. That her people didn't attack my family and that their not trying to hurt any of us. She says we're perfectly safe and not to worry."

"And she said she knew all this exactly how?" Loudmen ask in a tone that was rifled with disbelief.

"She said she knew for sure because no attack could have happened without her knowledge."

Loudmen gave the statement a scoffing laugh. "Well, that right there should prove to you she's lying, Thomas." Loudmen replied. "Deatheaters aren't 'briefed' on the dark lord's plans. They simply serve him, doing as their told. Only a very high ranking member of their group would know anything of what attacks are being planned. The rest don't find out until the last minute."

"But that's what she claims to be." Thomas stated. "She said she knew all this because she wasn't just one of the dark lord's Deatheaters, she said she was an Elite."

Loudmen's tone lit up with interest suddenly. "An Elite?" He ask. "This woman claims to be an Elite?"

Thomas shook his head. "Not just an Elite." He quickly corrected. "She said she's their leader. The head of the Elite. She said they all answered to her."

Although the fire didn't show much color, Thomas was sure he saw the man's face visibly pale.

"Thomas, you stay right where you are. I'll be back with you in just a moment." The man suddenly stated, and without further instructions, the fire went out.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Back in Loudmen's office his assistant was all but jumping out of his chair.

"The head of the Elite?!" The man stated, making no attempt at all to hide the excitement building in his voice. "Sir! That's Griss! That boy is talking about Katlin Griss!"

Loudmen sat behind his desk, his fingers steepled thoughtfully in front of him. "Katlin Griss." He said, slowly turning his eyes to the man on the other side of his desk. "The wife of Orion Black."

The other man caught the look in his superior's stare.

"Katlin Griss," he repeated in the same slow draw, "Voldemort's top Elite, is married to Orin Bale's top agent. Oh my," he added with a positive grin on his face, "that would not look good in the morning paper, now would it?"

The other man leaned forward slightly. "But sir, what if he doesn't know?"

"And what if he does?" Loudmen countered, pulling up in his chair and leaning across his desk. "Now you listen very carefully to me, Jon." He continued. "I want you to get your best Aurors and brief them on this. But keep it to a 'need to know' basis. Then get with Dugin and work up a foolproof plan for launching a search and seizure on Black's house. No mess-ups. I want your back-ups to have back-ups. When we go in, I don't want a flea to escape on the back of his dog. Is that understood?"

The man smiled back across the desk. "Yes, sir!"

"Get on it then. I'll see to it that the boy understands what we need him to do." Turning back to where a small fire had previously burned in a small brazier behind his desk, Loudmen conjured up another fire just as his assistant left the office. Almost instantly Thomas' face appeared in the fire.

"All right, Thomas. We feel you've given us enough information to move on this."

"You're coming here?" The teenager ask, his voice a mixture of impatience and uncertainty.

"We're getting orders right now for a search and seizure. Have to do everything nice and proper."

"Nice and proper?" Thomas ask. "What am I suppose to do in the meantime if she gets suspicious and decides I'm a risk?"

"Then get out of the house."

"I can't leave my brothers and sisters behind. Lucy was in the room when I confronted Katlin. She heard everything."

"Then your siblings should understand how dangerous it could be for you to stay in that house."

"We can't just leave." Thomas stated. "They probably suspect we may try to run, and they'll be watching us much more closely now."

"Thomas, I can't tell you how things will go, but I can tell you that things will be a lot simpler if none of you are in that house when we get there."

Thomas considered his options. "When are you coming?"

"Probably tomorrow...early."

Thomas paused for a moment as a thought suddenly struck him. He couldn't say for sure where it came from, just idle curiosity or something else. But it was still something he felt he had to know the answer to.

"Have you ever determined for sure that it was the Deatheaters that attacked our house?" He ask.

Loudmen seemed genuinely surprised by the question. "Determined for sure?" He ask incredulously. "Boy, how much more evidence do you want? The attack was ruthless, pointless with the exception that a wizarding family were the targets, the attackers all wore black robes and masks, and they made an absolute point not to leave anyone behind. What more would you like? A signed confession?"

Thomas paused for another moment, considering revealing what he had been told. "Katlin said the attack wasn't done by the Deatheaters." He stated. "She said that as the leader of the Elites, she would have known about such an attack, and she didn't."

Loudmen sighed loudly. "Two possibilities, Thomas." He replied in an almost bored tone. "One, she's not as informed about Deatheater activities as she implies, which, if she is who she claims to be, I more than doubt, and two, and my personal favorite, she's lying."

Thomas considered the answer, then simply gave a small nod.

"You just remember that we're going to be coming there early tomorrow and it will go a lot easier, and certainly a lot safer for you and your siblings, if you're not in the house at that time, all right?"

Thomas set his face in a determined expression. "I'll have all of us out before then."

Loudmen smiled at the teenager. "Good boy."

**Summaries**

Straight off, guys, I have to make a correction.

You see, last time, in my answer to ilovesiriusblack, I said that Katlin no longer had the Dark Mark.

That was incorrect.

Katlin's Dark Mark was removed in Runaway, which took place right after Family Life and right before Family Relations. This story takes place a few years before that. So she does indeed still have the Dark Mark on her forearm.

My mistake. Sorry.

MasterLupin:

**Hmm… Deny everything, always a good maxim. Well Orion probably hoped to placate the paranoid mind of a teenage boy by revealing all the cards, but I think he made it worse. When Katlin admits she is a death eater it will no question throw Thomas into hyper paranoid mode. I guess that he will not let any of his siblings near her without himself present, and it will probably put a strain on Katlin's budding relationships with the children, with exception of the baby, it could care less.  
Orion revealing that Bo is not a death eater in his mind might have made the teen less paranoid, but by not explaining its nature I think it has become a worse situation. Before Thomas knew what to expect with Bo, it would pretend to be a dog while it was really a death eater waiting to strike, simple but understood, something males prefer. Now he doesn't know what to expect from it, or how he should deal with it should Bo do something, not something males like. This will probably force Thomas to go to the Aurors ASAP, to try and bring the game back into his favor.**

A tried and true method, Dear, that has worked for many over the centuries.

Well, true, Orion and Katlin don't appear to have a lot of cards left in their hands, but they haven't told the children everything. But they are hoping that by showing the children, and especially Thomas, that they trust them with their own secrets, they'll be less inclined to keep any from their new caretakers.

Ah! Now see, that's one of those 'haven't told them everything' parts. But let's face it, Bo is not the easiest thing in the world to explain. As for how Thomas reacts to the information he's now been given, you straight on, Dear. Thankfully, however, the boy has enough sense not to tell them everything either.

ilovesiriusblack:

**Hmm who is this mysterious stranger? My money is on a family member, anyone else would have set off 101 alarms. However if it turns out to be Sirius Black I'm not sure thats going to help the situation. Thomas certainly has very little evidence to proceed with,without a dark mark unless the Aurors know who Katlin is by sight they're not going to believe she is a deatheater.  
Eagerly awaiting the next chapter.**

What mysterious stranger are you referring to, Dear?

And in reference to your comment about the Dark Mark and Katlin, see above.

All reviews are as of 02/17/2008.

And remember;

Who's idea was it to put an 'S' in the word 'lisp'?


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: If it looks original, and you don't recognize anything, it's mine. If it looks familiar, and you do recognize it, it isn't mine.

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN: AND THEN IT ALL HIT THE FAN**

Thomas put out the fire and quickly checked the immediate area, making sure no one was around who could have overheard him.

He had done the right thing, For his family. For his parents. It was what had to be done. Katlin was a Deatheater and she deserved to be in Azkaban.

But what if it hadn't been her people?

The question kept nagging at him. But after a few more rounds with it, he felt he had found a suitable answer.

What if it hadn't been them? Well, so what? Deatheaters had done a lot of terrible things. Even Katlin had admitted to that. Everyone of them that ended up in Azkaban was a good thing. Even her.

But a new point quickly rose up to thwart his contented reasoning. She had risk her own life saving them. How bad of a person did that make her?

Thomas sighed to himself as he wandered back to the main foyer. He was giving this too much thought. What was done was done. He couldn't undo things now. In the morning the Aurors would come and that would be that. If Katlin was innocent, let her prove it before the Ministry.

Heading down one of the hallways, looking for peace and quiet, Thomas found himself in a small, well furnished room, decorated in brown and dark greens. A sofa sat against one wall, several files stacked on one side, while another pile sat stacked next to it. A small fire burned in the fire place, giving the room a cozy, warm look. Pictures observed him from the walls as he walked around the room, looking at this and that. Coming finally to a large roll-top desk that sat in one corner.

The desk was piled with papers and rolled up pieces of parchment to the point Thomas wondered how anyone managed to make any practical use of the thing.

Picking up one of the top pages he noted it looked like some kind of file report. As he read it over he took a quick glance at the bottom.

His eyes widened in amazement when he saw the signature.

Orin Bale.

Thomas suddenly grabbed the paper with both hands.

Orin Bale? That was the head of the Unspeakables! Orion's boss!

The paper took on an almost religious significance to him. Now there was a man he would like to talk to about everything that was going on. His Dad had never spoken anything but reverence for the head of the Unspeakables, stating that things at the Ministry would be far better if they would just listen half the time to what Orin Bale had to say instead of writing him off as some loose cannon that was best just ignored.

Thomas was willing to bet everything he had left in the world that if anyone could give him a clear, straight answer about what to do about the situation, it was Orin Bale.

He wondered for a moment if Orion would let him talk to his boss, then quickly shook his head.

There wasn't any time. It was already late. The Aurors were suppose to come in the morning and he still had a lot to do himself. Like figure out how to get all of his siblings out of the house safely and without notice.

And besides, his parents had worked at the Ministry and never even saw the man. His Dad used to say that nothing short of setting yourself on fire could get you in to see Orin Bale.

Thomas looked over the papers on the desk again.

Well, maybe he couldn't get in to see the man himself, but he had a veritable treasure trove of information here. Most of the reports his eyes fell on had Bale's signature on them. Maybe one of them could shed some light his way on what to do. One of them may have information on the Deatheaters no one else knew about. Anything from them being a secret muggle network to actually being a spy set up for the Ministry. One of the papers may even have something on Katlin that may help show him he made the right decision.

Taking a seat at the desk, Thomas began to go through the papers as fast as he could. Anything that didn't have Orin Bale's name on it was quickly discarded. Anything that did was put to the side until Thomas felt he had a suitable pile to begin going through.

Taking the stack of papers, he moved to the sofa and began to read.

Most of the pages were interesting enough to him, but made no comment of the Deatheaters or of Katlin. The majority of their content was reports of various happenings at the department that Orin Bale seemed to have done no more than sign off on, with someone else having written the actual report. Likely Orion.

Halfway through the papers, and getting more than just a little tired of reading the same innocuous things over and over, Thomas suddenly stopped on a page that had him bolting upright on the sofa.

The report was titled with his parents names and their address.

Reading through the words on the page, Thomas grabbed at every sentence like a life line.

The report read different from all the others. The wording alone gave ample evidence that Orion Black or whoever had written the previous reports had not been the author of this particular one.

But it was one particular section of the report that made his heart feel like it had stopped beating in his chest as he read it over and over.

_Whereas the evidence clearly is laid out to implicate the Deatheaters in this attack, I have been assured by our contact in the Dark Lord's Elite ranks that there was no such planned attack on this family to this particular person's knowledge._

_Although no apparent evidence was left behind to clearly implicate anyone outright, magical traces found at the scene that had not been effectively erased, though few and weak, did not match any known traces left by the Deatheaters._

_Our contact, also having reviewed these traces, stated that they did not match any known magical signature of any Deatheater._

_However, several of the signatures left behind did correlate with those brought back by agents sent to investigate and maintain overt contact with the faction in the north. It is believed by those that have investigated this incident, including myself, that this was the group directly responsible for the attack on the Belker family._

_The reason for the attack is as yet unknown. _

What had Katlin told him? She was an Elite. The head of the Dark Lord's best fighters. And she had told him the Deatheaters had not had any plans in place to attack his family.

And what had Loudmen himself said? Only a high ranking Elite would know about any planned attacks. Lower ranking Deatheaters rarely knew about attacks until absolutely necessary.

And Orin Bale's report stated that the Unspeakable's had a contact within the Dark Lord's ranks who had reported to him no such attack had been planned.

As tired as he was, Thomas could still do the math on this situation pretty quickly. And what it all added up to for him was one very bad error in judgment.

It only took Thomas a matter of seconds to decide what he had to do.

In less than a heartbeat he was on his feet and headed for the door.

"Katlin!"

-------------------------------------------------------

Standing in the kitchen, Katlin was calmly preparing a late night snack for she and Orion while her husband stood behind her voicing his opinion for the ninth time.

"I don't like it, Katlin." He repeated. "The boy isn't to be trusted, and yet you went and handed him practically your life story."

"I did no such thing." Katlin replied calmly, turning to face him. "Orion, he needs to know we do trust him. Or at the very least, we're willing to let the element of doubt, no matter how small, work for him before we judge him guilty before even trying to prove him innocent."

"That boy is just barely as innocent as half the people in Azkaban."

"He's not some criminal, Orion." Katlin snapped back. "He's a confused, frightened child."

"He's a danger to you, is what he is."

"Then I'll handle it."

However Katlin thought she was going to handle any potential trouble got called to the forefront a lot sooner than she expected it would when she heard Thomas screaming her name from the foyer.

----------------------------------------------------------------

"Katlin!"

Flying down the hallway now that led back to the foyer, he was already headed for the stairs when Katlin came out of the hallway leading to the kitchen.

"Thomas? What...?"

Grabbing her hand, Thomas wasn't interested in wasting time with explanations. He had to get her out of the house and he had to do it right now.

"You have to leave!" He stated, dragging her towards the door. "You have to get out of this house and you have to get out now!"

"And what is so blasted all important that my wife has to leave her home right this minute?" Came the stone cold question from the hallway opening.

Thomas stopped short at the man's question. Still maintaining his hold on Katlin's hand, he pulled her once again towards the front door. "I can't explain right now." He stated. "But she has to leave and she has to leave right now!"

Orion pulled out his wand and pointed it at the door. Instantly the door vanished, the front wall of the house filling in the area.

Thomas immediately turned back to him, anger and fear playing across his features.

"Put it back!" He demanded. "She has to leave!"

"Tell us why, and if I think it's that important, I'll put the door back. But until then..." Orion pointed his wand again at the front of the house. In a flash every window equally disappeared, replaced by a solid wall. "...no one is leaving this house on your say so."

"Are you nuts?!" Thomas all but screamed at the man before him. "You don't understand anything! She's in danger! She has to get out of the house!

"My wife is perfectly safe in this house. It knows her and it'll protect her."

"I don't care how many wards, spells, or charms you have on this place." Thomas fired back in desperation. "It won't protect her from what's coming. The only thing she can do is leave. Go somewhere else until it's safe."

"'What's coming'?" Orion ask with a questioning lift of one eyebrow. "And what might that be?"

As though slapped back to reality, Thomas suddenly froze in place, realizing too late he had said more than he intended to.

His original plan had involved a grateful and cooperative Katlin, who would happily follow his instructions, giving him plenty of time later to carefully lay out a story of what he had done that didn't make him look nearly so stupid or untrustworthy.

It in no way included her husband standing guard and blocking their exit, demanding explanations immediately.

"I can't explain right now." Thomas stated, hoping he would except that explanation. "Katlin's in danger and I have to get her somewhere safe."

Orion remained where he was, making no move to allow them to leave.

Thomas saw his only option being held in the man's right hand.

Without warning, the teenager launched himself at Orion, his attention set solely on getting Orion's wand.

He expected and prepared for resistance from in front of him. He had set his sights on getting the wand and felt with a clear, single focused goal, he could obtain it.

He had not planned on resistance from behind.

A single hand seized him by the collar and before he even made three feet of forward progress, found himself yanked backwards.

"There will be none of that, young man!" Katlin's firm voice stated. Pulling the boy about to face her, Katlin set a hard gaze on him, but stopped short of a good three minute lecture when she saw the utter distress and desperation in his eyes.

Crouching down in front of him, Katlin soften her tone as well as her expression as she met his stare.

"Thomas," she ask carefully, signaling the man behind them to stay where he was,

"Orion and I want to help you, but you have to tell us what's wrong. Why is it so important to you I leave the house? Why right now? Can't we leave in the morning"

The boy came back to life in an instant. "No!" He nearly shouted at her. "You have to go now!"

Katlin studied the boy for a second. "All right." She replied calmly. "We'll make a bargain, you and I. I'll leave..."

Thomas breathed a sigh of relief.

"...if you tell me why."

His breath froze in his throat.

For several very long seconds Katlin held the boy's stare as she watched the battle going on behind his eyes. Something was definitely wrong, but she needed a bit more information to be able to make even an educated guess at this point.

"Well?" She asked finally.

"I can't tell you." Thomas replied in a whisper. "If I do, he'll kill me." He added with a slight indication of his head towards the man behind him.

"Thomas, Orion isn't going to kill you." Katlin tried to reassure him.

Thomas shook his head. "How can you say that? You don't even know what I've done yet."

"Maybe not. But I do know my husband. And Thomas, Orion cares about you and your siblings. Maybe he hasn't learned how to relate to you very well yet. It takes time. But he does care."

Thomas took a quick glance behind him before turning back to Katlin. "Then why is he looking at me like I'm target practice?"

Katlin glanced over her shoulder to see her husband indeed eyeing the pair like they were co-conspirators working on some plot. "Because," Katlin explained, turning back to the teenager, "as much as we don't know all there is to know about you and the others, you don't know us very well either. But I'll help you out with this one and tell you something about my very formidable looking husband, Thomas. Orion is a very volatile man. It's who he is. It's what he does. He has to be to survive in his work. But he would never needlessly, or for the sheer pleasure of it, harm anyone.

Yes, Orion is upset right now. But it's not you he's upset with...not entirely. He's upset because he's facing an enemy he doesn't know anything about. And the only source of information he has is you. So," she added with a small smile, "my advice is to suck it up and tell the man what he wants to know. Answer clearly, and answer concisely."

"He's going to kill me." Thomas reiterated.

"Thomas, he may be upset, even a little angry, but all he wants right now are answers. He wants to know what he's facing so he can sort out a way to deal with it." She said. "Now come on. We'll face it together."

Katlin, with her hands on the teenager's shoulders, carefully turned him back around to face her husband.

"All right." Orion stated, trying to keep his tone level and unthreatening. "Let's hear it."

Thomas took a deep breath before starting, still certain he was facing his last moments on the planet.

"You...you remember how I thought Katlin was a Deatheater?" He ask, which Orion solemnly nodded to. "Well, I...I thought we were in danger...me and the others. And...and I thought she and the...she and Bo...were going to hurt us or something."

"Go on." Orion stated.

Thomas took another breath. "So, the day Katlin took the others shopping...I...I...had put some Floo Powder in a bag and hid it in my room. And when they left..." Thomas found his voice failing him. How was he going to tell the man standing in front of him that he turned his wife into the Ministry? He was going to kill him.

But the gentle hands on his shoulders gave a small, reassuring squeeze. "Thomas," Katlin whispered in his ear. "Just tell us what happened. We can't help you if we don't know what's going on. Now go on, please. What did you do when I took the others shopping?"

Thomas pulled back slightly, backing right into Katlin as he never took his eyes off the face of the man in front of him. One move from him and Thomas swore, door or no door, he was making for where the nearest exit used to be, reintroduce it to the architecture, and he wouldn't stop running until he fell over from exhaustion.

Taking what he felt was likely to be his last breath, Thomas decided to get it all out in one quick sentence.

"I went to the Ministry and I told the head of the Department of Aurors that your wife was a Deatheater."

If Thomas thought Orion was going to be angry, he couldn't have been more wrong.

The man in front of him, in fact, did nothing at all in response to his declaration. Instead he only slowly shifted his eyes to the person standing behind him.

The two hands on his shoulders had suddenly tightened their grip as they slowly turned him around. Greeting him were two wide eyes, as hard and clear as ice on violet, pinning him to the spot as they slowly narrowed into two sharp slits.

"You did what?"

**Q&A**

MasterLupin:

**Oh man, what a move to pull. Orion and Katlin reveal half of the truth and Thomas goes and calls in the cavalry. For some reason I don't forsee this event having a good impact on Thomas' relationship with either Katlin or Orion. I wonder how Thomas is going to get his family out of the house before the raid, because as soon as they get near that door, Orion is going to know something is up. I don't think that Thomas will have a hard time getting Justin or Vincent to go with him, all he will have to say is that Katlin admitted being an elite death eater and they will cling to him for protection. Kathy won't know what's going on and will think it's just another day, but Lucy will be a problem. She is thinking about things from a different perspective then Thomas is and might not go with him when he tries to leave. In fact I think Thomas will try and convincer to come by saying that he told the Aurors and that they need to leave ASAP and Lucy will go and tell Katlin what he did.   
Poor Katlin she must think that she will never be able to raise a family at this point because as soon as any child knows about her being a death eater they will prefer to live on the street rather than spend another moment with her. And Orion probably has less of a clue about what to do to contain the situation then Katlin dose. Although that might change when the Aurors come knocking.  
Post again ASAP, I'm hang on a cliff here.**

So I'm curious if the story took the turn you expected. I'd be happy to know this was one of those rare occasions I manages to actually toss a curve ball at you.

Indeed, Thomas' actions have not helped foster any relationship with his caretakers. But the truth of the matter is that currently, Orion is taking things a lot better than Katlin.

Indeed things are not all that rosy between Lucy and her older brother. But they are basically both teenagers, vying for control. Thomas of his family and Lucy of her life in general, while Vincent and Justin indeed look to Thomas for guidance still.

Nice theory, but...no. As this chapter laid out, Thomas went to Katlin on his own and told her what he had done. Thankfully, he managed to come to the right decision not a moment too soon. Katlin and Orion now have something just short of six hours to come up with a viable plan to keep her safe.

Indeed, when she has a moment to stop and gather her thoughts, Katlin may not be seeing motherhood in her future after all. Of course, after all is said and done, she may not want too, either.

Keep them theories coming, Dear. You know I love 'em!

ilovesiriusblack:

**Apologies I misread your last chapter and assumed someone else had joined them in the room but it was Katlin that spoke as you have made clear in this chapter.  
I don't envy Thomas his position at all. I don't think I could wish the dementors kiss on anyone but it is a low blow to try and guilt him out of his prescent course of action, no he might not believe anymore that deatheaters killed his parents but surely he can't now believe that they have never killed anyones? Does the fact that they are not guilty of this crime absolve them for all their others? Nope do not envy Thomas this ethical debate at all, I wish him luck.  
Excellent chapter looking forward to the next.**

Kind of thought maybe that was what it was. And I apologize as well. I thought it was a cute ending for the chapter. I did not intend to confuse you with it.

It is indeed a difficult position. But Katlin was by no means trying to guilt Thomas out of any action. Her point was put in here to try and show she is in no better a position than he is.

Over the past few years, Katlin has had a lot to deal with, and all in all, come out pretty well. She did not want to abandon her people. But she also no longer believed in the things Voldemort was pushing on his followers. She has watched them go from being a pain in the backside of the Ministry who were simply fighting for things she herself believed in and supported fully, to be a little more than a mindless mob with all the morals of a wall-street broker, following a man she hardly even recognizes anymore. But Katlin can't bring herself to desert Voldemort either. She believes that having him in control is better than someone else, since she still can exercise a small amount of control over him. And he still trusts her. So she still hears about things more first hand than anyone else. And if she feels the idea Voldemort has is a bad one, she goes to Orion, who in turn takes it to Orin, and they try to sort out the best way to stop a lot of people needlessly dying.

So Katlin is doing some good in her current position. But she is finding it harder and harder to reconcile what little good she can do with the evil growing about her.

As she told Thomas in response to his question 'What changed?'..., "People changed."

Unfortunately for Katlin, the worst is still to come.

And a few quick comments on your points, Dear, I would like to clear up.

First, is Katlin trying to guilt Thomas out of thinking of her as a bad person?

No. But she does want him to consider that things are not always as they seem.

Just because the Deatheaters did not attack Thomas' family, does that make them not bad people?

No. Katlin even said, the Deatheaters have done a great many bad things. Even she admits that. And one of the reasons she's still with them is that she's trying to get them back to their basic ideals, which weren't all bad. (OK, the chlorine in the gene pool thing was a BAD idea, but that wasn't the only article of their beliefs.) But she's not going to have Thomas hating her or her people for something they didn't do.

And Dear, yes, it is one bugger of an ethical quandary. One that is getting deeper and murkier by the second for those involved.

Silverfox:

**Ah, my dear Auror Loudmen, I'm sure any fleas will be the least of your worries once you meet the dog. (I am so looking forward to that moment!)**

**Quite surprised Thomas has managed to make that call unnoticed ... or is Bo just observing and reporting again?  
As for Tets and the death eaters, Katlin was an invited death eater. I think one trying to sneak in would be much less inclined to peacefully accept the delivery of breakfast in bed.**

You know, you need to stop making comments like that. They start me thinking about scenes that don't actually exist, but would be an awful lot of fun to write.

Sadly, no such scene between Bo and Martin Loudmen exists. But I will promise you this. The person who is going to want to have a nice private chat with Loudmen will be a lot more fun.

That call went entirely un-noticed. How? Bo was currently with Orion and Katlin. Whenever Orion is agitated, upset, worried, or angry, Bo isn't far from him. Why? Because Bo is most closely tuned to Orion's emotions. And when they are running amuck, so-to-speak, Bo wants to know why. So he sticks closer to his Channeler to try and figure out what's going on. And right now, Orion is varying between any one of the four at any given moment.

Ah, good old Tets. One of these days he'll realize his dream and actually catch a Deatheater. His biggest problem with that goal right now is he keeps missing the real ones and accusing everyone else.

All reviews are as of 02/23/2008.

And remember;

Why is it no matter what color bubble bath you use, the bubbles are always white?


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: OriginalMine. Not originalRowling.

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN: COUNTER PLANS**

Several thoughts went through Thomas' mind as he met the two narrowed cold violet eyes that greeted him.

One: he had worried about the wrong person.

Two: Orion Black may be a dangerous man, but he was positively an unloaded .357 next to his wife.

And three: as the minutes ticked away marking his time left on the planet, his life had just become the second hand.

"Martin...Martin Loudmen...," Thomas stammered out. "I went to him and told him who you were."

Katlin's eyes got very wide again. "Thomas! How could you!" She whispered on a near silent breath.

Thomas followed Katlin's stare as she glanced behind them. Already Orion had the door and windows replaced and was weaving a spell around each.

"When?" Was his sole question.

When Thomas didn't answer immediately, the man turned around and stalked over to where he was still standing.

"Tell. Me. When!" He stated in a tone that left not even a small square inch corner to argue in.

"In the morning!" Thomas got out in a frightened rush of words. "They said they were coming in the morning!"

"When did you last speak to them?"

"This evening!" Thomas choked out. "About...about an hour ago. He said they would come in the morning and I was to make sure everyone was out of the house. Vincent, Lucy, Katy, and Justin."

"Martin Loudmen?" Katlin questioned, turning a puzzled look to Orion. It wasn't a name she was familiar with.

"Martin Loudmen is the worst of the worst." Orion explained. "Has an axe to grind against the Unspeakables that's a mile long. Mostly against Orin."

Katlin's brow furrowed. "Orin?"

"Orin put a lot of his Aurors in Azkaban after the war. The Daily Prophet got hold of the information and had a field day with it, listing all the wizards and witches who had been working for the Ministry, but were also spies for Voldemort.

Loudmen laid all the blame for that at Orin's feet and has just been looking for a way to give payback ever since. Capturing you and parading you before the Daily Prophet would be just the opportunity he's been looking for for years. The wife of one of Orin Bale's top agents...a Deatheater. And an Elite no less. Oh, that would just be icing on the cake to him if he knew."

"He knows." Came a small voice.

Orion turned sharply back to the teenager standing still before Katlin. "What?" He ask in a quiet, low, measured voice.

"I think that's how they pieced things together." Thomas reasoned out. "I mean, who Katlin really is."

Orion's voice took on a harder edge. "Explain to me what that means. 'Who she really is.'"

"Well, Loudmen kept implying that Katlin was some very dangerous Deatheater. He kept saying things like 'If she's who we think she is...'. And...and I told them what she told me, about being head of the Elite."

As a stone cold silence filled the foyer, Thomas looked from one adult to the other. Katlin had gone positively pale while Orion looked as though he was simply trying to figure out the fastest, most efficient way to kill the teenager.

"They know I'm head of the Elite, then they know who I am." Katlin said on a whispered breath, staring at her husband. "They'll come more than prepared, Orion. And they'll bring they're best."

Orion shifted his attention to his wife after giving the boy one more warning look. "Then we'll be prepared as well. We have the advantage still, Katlin. We know they're coming, and we know who they're looking for. They're not just coming looking for a Deatheater. They're coming looking for Katlin Griss."

Katlin stared at her husband. "What are we going to do?"

"Well we sure aren't going to sit around just waiting for them to come here." Orion stated. "We need to set up a plan to divert them. But first, Thomas is right, you need to get out of the house."

"Orion..."

"Don't argue, Katlin! I need to know you're at least safe. Now go!"

Katlin gave an exasperated sigh, then prepared to apparate to her in-laws house.

Orion watched her for several seconds. "Katlin." He stated in a warning tone. If she didn't agree to leave on her own, he'd send her himself.

"It isn't me." She replied quietly. "They've set a second anti-apparation barrier around the house. Orion, I can't leave!"

Her voice was a well control tone, but he could still hear the rising panic underneath it.

"Don't try again." He told her quickly. "They probably have it wired. If we keep trying to break through it'll alert them and they'll know something's up. That would just be more proof for them they have what they want and they'll come in here and rip the house apart looking for you."

"But they would have felt this try then."

Orion shrugged. "I'll think of something to tell them. Right now we have to deal with the problem at hand." He stated, falling quickly into a brooding silence as he considered his remaining options. She couldn't leave, so they would have to hide her in the house. Well, that was no problem. He could hide half the department in his house for a year an no one would know it. But hiding her wouldn't stop this whole mess from growing larger. No, they were coming to find Katlin Griss, and simply telling them she wasn't there wouldn't work.

Thomas had told them he had a wife. He would have to produce one. And Katlin's own ability to alert her appearance wouldn't matter. They would still take her in since what she looked like would be irrelevant. No one had ever seen Katlin Griss that she wasn't in some sort of disguise, so no one knew what she really looked like.

Once at the Ministry, they would easily break the spell concealing her appearance and have her just where they wanted her. Probably where she wanted as well, he amended with a small smile. If she had to go out, she'd go with as much company as possible. And a room full of Aurors would provide her with lots of targets. She'd likely take out every one of them, and with her last breath, still manage to fire off a spell to nail the one trying to sneak out the door.

"Something you find amusing here?" Katlin asked with a quizzical lift of a brow.

Orion shook his head. "Not here. Just thinking what you would do in a room full of Aurors."

Katlin gave him a deep frown. "Target practice." She replied in a flat tone.

He knew her so well. But he quickly shook off the thought and directed his mind back to the problem at hand. How to hide her and who to stand in for her.

Slowly another smile came to his lips as his gaze fell on the cellar doorway.

"Now what?" Katlin ask.

Orion turned to his wife. "A way we can maybe make this work for us." He stated. "What if we could work things to end this once and for all?"

"How?"

"We can hide you in the house, somewhere nice, safe and out of sight. When the Aurors come, Bo can stand in for you. They'll think they've cornered Katlin Griss, one of them is sure to get itchy and fire off a killing curse, Bo can work a good counter spell that collides with it and the result would be where you were standing is now a nice pile of ashes, and everyone is happy."

Katlin tilted her head slightly. "What about Voldemort?"

"What about him?"

"He'll be less happy."

Orion considered the statement. "Well, the dark lord is rarely happy, Love. I don't see where this will really affect his demeanor one way or the other."

Katlin gave a small sigh of exasperation. "Orion, he'll hear about it." She explained. "You know that anyone capturing or killing me will practically be a national holiday in any department. Voldemort will hear about it. Now, the next time he sees me at the lair, his first question will be why I'm still alive. And the second will be why I was at your house to begin with."

Orion frowned at the problem, which he didn't really see as much of one. "He knows you live here." He replied.

"Not all the time." Katlin shot back. "And I just happened to be here when a party of Aurors showed up? The first person he's going to come to for answers is me, Orion. The next one is you."

"I'll hold the door open for him. Because quite frankly, I have a few things I'd like to tell him that will simplify our lives considerably."

But Katlin was already shaking her head. "Orion, this plan just leads from one question to the next. And afterwards no one can see me alive."

"So be someone else."  
Katlin was getting more frustrated by the minute. "Are you serious?! Orion, I can only hold this form as I do because I know it so well, and because Voldemort wove a very complex spell to allow me to do so without much effort on my part. Choosing another is not just going down to the local store and picking one out. And I like this appearance. After some many years, it sort of grows on a person. I wouldn't relish having to lose it."

Orion returned a deeper frown. "Well, currently this is the best plan we have."

"No." Katlin replied. "I have a better one."

Orion looked up at her.

Katlin set her expression to allow for no argument in her decision. "I think it's about time your co-workers met your wife."

**Q&A**

Masterlupin:  
**Hmm well I wouldn't call this chapter a curve ball, as I was expecting Orion to figure out that there will be a raid in the morning, but I was thinking that he would find out from someone other than Thomas.  
It is probably a good thing that Orion removed the windows as well as the door, because if I was Thomas at the moment I would jump out the window to escape the angry rath of Katlin.  
In the next coming moments I think Orion to Thomas' surprise will be the one to save him from Katlin, he may also figure out that the insider mentioned in the report is Katlin. Thomas may also inadvertently reveal that he has an unregistered wand when he attempts to blow a hole in the wall to get away from the two Blacks who will be infuriated at him.  
For a plan I think Orion will convince Ms. Fig to play the role of his wife, and admit that Katlin was in the house but in her role of death eater contact.**

What can I say? I Try. And the kid panicked.

Thomas and Katlin surely have some serious relationship repair to do after this is all over. And thankfully Katlin is smart enough to realize that killing him now will not solve anything. Maybe later...just for fun.

Well, I don't think he has very far to go to figure that one out. And I actually wrote that with the understanding he was already working on that assumption.

Orion is far more interested right now in saving his wife than worrying about what Katlin may do to the boy.

Nope. Sorry. Thomas has yet to admit he has that wand, which will play a part later on in someone else's hands.

Well, that's actually not a bad idea, but Orion is far more interested here in getting his co-workers and everyone else off his back once and for all about his rarely mentioned and never seen wife. It is, in fact, something of a mystery at the Ministry, who Orion is married to and why no one has ever seen her. Orion longest conversation on the matter has run along the lines of 'I'm married'. But Orion being who he is, people generally back off when he fails to offer any further information, and speculation is so much more interesting.

Actually, one of the last things Orion or Orin wants is for anyone else to know that Katlin works part-time as an information kiosk for the Unspeakables. It's one of those 'the more people who know the more dangerous it becomes' things. And whereas Voldemort may be mildly upset to find out his head Elite is married to an Unspeakable, finding out she has played the role of a spy for them would be a guaranteed death sentence.

ilovesiriusblack:

**In all honesty what did Katlin expect him to do? Thomas has known deatheatersbad a lot longer than he has known her and he has a family to take care of, that he'd have the guts to stand up to a suspected deatheater who could inflict a lot of pain should be applauded in my opinion. On the other hand I like Katlin as a character so I hope this mess gets sorted out.  
Looking forward to the next chapter.**

Well, for starters, she sure didn't expect him to go as far as he did. I mean, she stood behind him all the way up until now. Why? Because she honestly never expected this level of betrayal out of him. The others were starting to accept her, and she was sure, in time, Thomas would too. Instead she finds the kid is sneaking around behind her back doing things most Deatheaters would stand up and applaud the sheer audacity of. This is a kid Voldemort would most definitely like on his team.

And I do agree, the fact he didn't just try to get his siblings to take off with him, or abandon them altogether to save himself when things got messy, and instead stood up to Katlin, shows a lot of moxy.

So glad you like Katlin, Dear.

Silverfox:

**Okay Thomas, you spectacularly failed spying 101. The moment Orion enters that room again he's going to know that somebody went through his papers and which one they looked for.**

Did Thomas completely forget about getting his siblings out of the house as well, though?

**Until now it had been his main concern to keep hem safe and all of a sudden Katlin is so much more important that he just leaves them behind?  
Very disappointed that Bo won't get to play with the nice set of Aurors that's about to come by. When was the last time the poor bogart got to scare someone?  
Well, I still believe it's better for Tets' health that he's only catching non-death eaters these days. Much less dangerous.**

At least when the kid fails at something, he makes the most of it. And true, he certainly made no attempts to cover up what he was doing in Orion's study. But hey, who left the door unlocked in the first place?

No, he didn't forget. But his discovery in Orion's study has put a seriously different spin on things for him. Katlin may be a Deatheater, but they were not responsible for what happened to his parents. And keep in mind that Thomas is still very much aware that Katlin risk her own life coming to their rescue and, along with her husband, likely saved the lives of he and his siblings. The way he sees things now, he has done her a seriously bad turn and needs to correct an very bad error in judgment on his part. And he didn't abandon his siblings. He was just trying to get Katlin somewhere safe. Then he would come back and decide what to do from there. But currently, Katlin is the one in the most danger. The Aurors aren't after he or his siblings, after all.

Wow! From your last four sentences, I'd swear you had been peeking at my notes!

I'm sure he's just as disappointed, Dear. And as the next chapter will show, poor Bo's opportunities aren't getting any better.

As for Tets, his chances to do something exciting for a change are definitely improving.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: If it looks original, it's mine. If you think you've seen it somewhere before, it's not mine.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: PREPARATION

Orion knew exactly what Katlin was proposing.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" He ask.

Katlin nodded. "Orion, there is no other way. They'll come, they'll see, and they'll leave. And no one will ever again ask you why they never see you with your wife."

Orion paused as he thought over her plan, looking carefully for any reason to argue against it.

The problem was, he couldn't find any. She was right. No one would ever again press him about why they never saw him in public with his wife. For the past twelve years, he had likely used ever excuse in the book, some several times, for why she was never at his side in public. This would end all the speculation and questions.

"All right." He agreed on a unhappy sigh. "Go upstairs, and get ready for when they come. You should hear them easily enough. Bloody herd of elephants is what they usually sound like when they smell blood. I'll make sure we're ready for them down here."

Katlin gave a small nod and turned and hurried up the stairs.

"What's she going to do?" Thomas ask.

"Nothing you need to know about right now." Orion stated. "You and I have other business to attend to."

"Other business?" Thomas ask uncertainly.

"Other business." Orion repeated, fixing his stare on the teenager. "Now, we all have a part to play in this." He added. "And you have the most important part of all."

"Me?"" Thomas questioned. "Why me?"

Orion quickly turned the boy around and marched him back into the kitchen. "Because this whole thing started with you." He answered. "And it has to end with you. And right now, I hope you had a nap this afternoon, because you aren't going to get much sleep tonight."

Thomas took the seat at the table Orion indicated. "Why me again?" he ask.

Orion leaned over the table. "Because when those Aurors show up tomorrow, they're not going to find what they're expecting to. And when they don't, they're going to want to know why. And who do you think they're going to come to looking for those answers?" He ask.

Thomas stared up at him, all to certain of the answer.

Orion pulled back and looked about the kitchen. "Bo!"

Instantly the tower of dark robes appeared in the kitchen, already gesturing wildly.

Orion reached out and grabbed his hands. "Bo! Stop it! We have a problem and I don't have time for you're whining right now."

"What's wrong?" Thomas asked.

"He says we interrupted his game."

"Game?" Thomas asked. "What game?"

Orion gave a short, quiet sigh. He was sure he already knew what Bo was going on about, but he wouldn't get the boy focused without an answer. "Bo, what game?"

The boggart quickly launched into another series of wild gestures.

"He caught an intruder on the grounds." Orion translated in a disinterested voice as he translated the boggart's message.

"An intruder?!" Thomas stated. "But...but what if it was the Aurors? What if they came early?!"

"My guess is it likely is one of Loudmen's Aurors." Orion stated, taking the chair opposite Thomas.

"But...but aren't you going to do something?"

Orion sighed again, then turned behind him. "Tets!"

Almost instantly the little elf appeared next to Orion's chair. "Tets is apologizing most profusely for keeping the master's waiting. What is it Tets can do for the master's?"

"For starters you can either stop calling me that or learn proper subject/verb agreement."

The little elf gave him a questioning stare. "Master's?" He finally ask in a puzzled tone.

Orion gave another quiet sigh. "Tets." He stated. "Bo says there's an intruder on the grounds. Go sort it out."

The little elf gave Orion a completely startled look. "But...but master's! The outsides is the boggart's territory. And...and the boggart's...he is getting very upset with Tets if Tets were to invade his territory...he is not liking Tets to do that...he gets very, very..., very upset...and he is might maybe..."

"Bo is going to be busy for the next few hours." Orion stated, cutting the little elf off. "So I need you to go sort it out this time, all right?"

The little elf did everything but salute him. "Yes, master's!" He announced. "Tets is off to 'sort it out'. Tets is not letting any intruders into the master's house. Tets is off to stop them."

"One last thing Tets."

The little elf stopped short. "Master's?"

Orion turned back to the boggart waiting patiently behind Thomas' chair. "Bo, did this man see you?"

The tower of black robes shook it's head.

Orion turned back to the little elf. "Tets, I don't want you to do anything where this man would see you. Slow him down, distract him, stall him, whatever else you want. But don't let him see you, all right?"

The elf gave Orion a hurt look. "But Master's...Tets is a house elf. And a good house elf is never seen."

"Then there should be no problem in this for you, no?"

Tets bowed again to his master. "Yes, Master's. Is not a problem for Tets not to be seen."

And with another quick bow, the little elf disappeared.

"That should keep them both busy for a few hours." Orion mumbled to himself as he turned back to Thomas.

"Aren't you the least bit concerned that there's an Auror outside?" The boy ask.

"No." Came the short answer.

"But why not?"

"Because he's only one man." Orion replied. "And that doesn't concern me right now. What does is the rest of his little friends that are scheduled to show up for morning tea tomorrow. Let's concentrate on them, shall we? Leave the one outside to Tets."

Thomas said nothing more as Orion settled into his chair and fixed a solid stare on the boy.

"All right now," He stated, "tomorrow morning those Aurors are going to show up and, when they don't find what they're looking for, they're going to come to you for answers. What we're going to do is make sure you give them all the right ones."

"The right ones?" Thomas asked.

"That's right." Orion stated in a level voice. "Now Thomas, I'm going to tell you a story, and I want you to listen to me very carefully. At the end of it, you're going to repeat the story back to me, and then we're going to go over it a few hundred times until you believe it. All right?"

"You want me to memorize a story?" Thomas asked with a puzzled look.

Orion shook his head. "No." He explained. "I want you to learn a story. Then I'm going to make sure you learned it right. Then I'm going to engrain it in your memory so firmly that you're going to believe it yourself."

"You want me to lie." He stated with understanding.

Orion shook his head again. "No. Because if you lie, these men will know. We have to make sure you tell them something so close to the truth, but arranged with only the facts I want them to hear, that even you won't know the difference. And then you're going to learn that version until you believe it."

"But how will I know when that is?" He ask.

"You won't. I will."

Thomas was pretty sure he didn't like the way the situation was shaping up. But he also knew that what Orion had said was right. He had started this, and he had to finish it. With a slight nod, he set his mind to get to work.

-----------------------------------------------------------

It was near sunrise when Orion finally declared the session done. Thomas swore his head hurt so badly that he couldn't answer a single question put to him if it was 'What's your name?'.

About that time Katlin came downstairs to see how things were progressing.

"All done?" She ask.

"I think we have everything down." Orion replied. "Are you ready?"

Katlin answered him with a quick nod.

"One last thing." Orion said. "I need to call Orin and let him know what's happened. He may be able to help."

Thomas' interest peaked immediately at the man's name. "Orin Bale!?"

Orion turned to the teenager. "That's right."

"That's your boss, right? He's suppose to be the best there is. A really powerful wizard."

Orion frowned at the boy's assessment. One thing he knew about his enigmatic boss was that Orin liked to keep a low profile. And he certainly didn't run about boasting of his abilities, nor doing shows for the general public.

"And you would know all of this how exactly?" Orion ask.

Thomas warmed up to one of his favorite subjects immediately. "My Dad used to talk about him all the time. He said there wasn't likely a wizard around as powerful as Mr. Bale, and it wasn't any small wonder he was the head of the Unspeakables."

"Your father seemed well informed on Orin. What else did he say?"

Thomas thought for a moment. "He said that most of the rest of the Ministry thought Orin Bale was just some loose cannon who managed to get into his position with a lot of luck on his side. But Dad said that if the rest of the Ministry would just listen to him, that things would be a lot better for everybody."

Orion sat for a long time just staring at the teenager in front of him. Something that soon had Thomas squirming under the man's stare.

"Orion, what is it?" Katlin ask.

Orion paused for a moment. "I'm just wondering." He stated slowly. "Thomas' parents were file clerks working for the Ministry of Magic in the general circulations department."

"So?"

Orion turned to his wife. "How is it two class five file clerks know more about the head of the Department of Mysteries than most of his own agents?"

Thomas himself shrugged at the question. "Mom didn't seem to know as much as Dad did about him. But she seemed to agree with his assessment of the guy. She said there were few people in the Ministry of Magic who knew even half there was to know about Orin Bale."

Orion considered the information carefully. "Thomas," He ask, "did Orin ever come to your house?"

The teenager gave a laugh. "Are you kidding? Orin Bale doesn't come for tea to the house of a pair of Ministry file clerks. The only person Mr. Bale bothers speaking to is the Minister of Magic. Past that, Dad said no one hardly ever even saw the man."

Orion gave a quiet sigh then nodded. "All right. We're done for now, Thomas. You can go sleep for an hour or so. When I need you, Bo will let you know, then you do just what I said."

Sighing to himself as he watched the teenager stagger off to bed, Orion finally rubbed the bridge of his nose as he fought his own exhaustion.

"Did you let that boy get any sleep last night?" Katlin ask.

"He's getting sleep now." Orion replied. "My guess is he's so tired he'll be lucky if his body lets him walk past any flat, soft surface on the way to his own bed."

"Is that entirely wise?" Katlin ask.

Orion rubbed a hand over his face. "Maybe not entirely, but its necessary. If he's tired and a little loopy, the Aurors will write off any odd readings they get from him to that."

"That'll only cover part of it, Orion. When they don't get what they want, they'll dig deeper, you know that."

"And I prepared for that contingency as well." He replied, turning finally to Bo, who had stood the entire time behind Thomas without so much as a single movement.

"Well?" He ask.

The boggart simply nodded.

"I need more than that, Bo." He stated with a weary sigh. "Did you cover all the bases? If Loudmen's boys go searching, I don't want them to find anything but stone cold truth from that boy."

Bo paused, then made several gestures in the air.

"Good." Orion replied. "Just keep the wards up and make sure no one can detect them. Thomas did a good job learning everything and he didn't even try to sort out the truth from everything else. He just might be able to pull off an interrogation. But a little extra help never hurt."

Katlin turned a worried stare to her husband. "What are we going to do if this doesn't work?" She ask quietly after a few moments silence.

Orion returned her stare with one of utter determination. "Then we fight! Because I am not letting them take you from me!"

"I can fight!" Came an equally determined voice from behind them.

Orion turned to see Thomas standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Aren't you suppose to be sleeping?" Orion ask.

"I came back to get something to eat first. I sleep better after I have something to eat. But I heard what you told Katlin, and I can help. I fought the ones that attacked us. And I kept them out of the house for over an hour. I know how to fight!" He reminded the man before him. "Give me my wand and I can at least help you."

Orion studied the boy for a moment. "If this is just some ploy to get your wand back..." He warned.

But Thomas quickly cut him off, pulling the wand Loudmen had given him out of his sleeve. "If I just wanted a wand, I already have one." He stated, holding the wand up for Orion to see.

The Unspeakable stared hard at the polished wooden wand. "Where did you get that?" He ask in a calm, level voice.

"Mr. Loudmen gave it to me." Thomas replied. "It's how I made the call to the Ministry last night."

Orion took the wand from him and looked it over carefully. "That's an unregistered wand." He stated finally.

Katlin took the wand and held it up as she examined it as well. "Those are against the law." She said. "The Ministry declared them unsafe and banded anyone from having one. What is the Department of Aurors doing with one?"

"Their not 'unsafe'." Orion replied. "At least not entirely. But that's the story the Ministry told everyone to keep them from ever trying to get one. Any spell cast with this thing leaves almost no trace at all as to who the caster was. It's the equivalent of a muggle's stolen gun used in a crime. You may know what the gun was, but you have no idea who pulled the trigger. They're bloody hard to get a hold of and any vendor found selling one has his license revoked on the spot. And it's near impossible to get it back. Personally, I'd like to know who Loudmen's supplier is." He added, looking up at the teenager before him.

But Thomas quickly shook his head. "He didn't say. He just said I wasn't to tell anyone I had the wand or show it to anyone, and when everything was done, he wanted it back."

Orion gave the boy a small smile. "I'll just bet he does."

Thomas stood watching the man for several moments as he went back to studying the wand. "So, can I have mine back?" He ask finally.

Orion turned his eyes back to the boy. "Why is it so important to you to have your wand back?" He ask. "If you had this one, why not use it?"

"Because it's not mine." Thomas explained. "It doesn't work as well and it's harder to control. If something goes wrong, and I have to help you protect Katlin, I'll do better with my own wand."

Orion paused as he studied the boy for a long time. But finally he held up his hand and Thomas' wand instantly appeared in his palm.

Closing his hand over it, Orion deftly tossed it to the teenager.

"Don't make me ever regret doing this." He stated.

Thomas proudly held his wand up, tightly clenched in his hand. "No, sir." He stated.

**Q&A**

MasterLupin:

**Well I was expecting Thomas to try and escape through a window but oh well. I wonder who Orion will have play his wife, and how he will introduce her to his department in less than six hours when most of them will not be there. As for Katlin I think she is taking this all rather well, seems to have skipped over the anger and bargaining phases of acceptance and gone straight to acceptance.  
Thomas still seems unsure about telling Orion and Katlin about the raid to be honest. I expect that when this is all over, sometime around the end Family Relations that he may ask Orion about the moral dilemma that he has encountered. Should Katlin be in jail for her past crimes even though she has done some good things?  
I think it is interesting that even though Katlin could use this opportunity to be completely free of the death eaters, a group which she now has much uncertainty about but doesn't take it. It would be interesting to read her perspective of Voldemort's obsession with killing Harry Potter a child, especially when she learns that Harry has been adopted into her extended family.**

Keep reminding me why I like you so much, Dear. Really great questions.

You're problem here, Dear, is your stuck in the grove of thinking Orion is going to get someone else to play his wife. That is not what they are planning, as the next chapter will show.

How is he going to introduce her to his whole department? He won't have to. The gossip mill will do that for him. And he's not out to 'introduce' her in the physical sense, just give a plausible explanation why no one ever sees her with him.

You're applying general psychology to a less than average person, Dear. Katlin doesn't look at things as the average person would. Well..., not entirely. Trust me, the anger part is there. For all she tried to do for him, Thomas still betrayed her. That's gotta hurt. But right now she's looking at the big picture, which currently involves her dealing with minor issues later and concentrating on staying alive right now.

Thomas, unfortunately, suffers from one of the rampant ailments of his age group. He tends to act before he thinks. And right now he is just trying to set things right based on how he sees the situation.

You make a very good and valid point, Dear. Katlin is less than a saint to be sure. Once more, she didn't get elected head of the Elite. She earned that position. But she has also done a great deal of good working with her husband and Orin Bale to keep Voldemort a bit more in line. So, should she be made to pay for the things she's done in the past? All I can say here is I'm glad I'm not seated on that jury. Because that is one very tough judgment call.

Oh, I do love this next part. Why didn't she leave the Deatheaters when she had a perfectly good opportunity to do so? Well, for a lot of reasons. Most prevalent is that she still has her original beliefs, she still acts on them, and though divided, many of the Deatheaters still believe as she does and are willing to fight for those beliefs. It isn't Katlin whose changed, after all, it's Voldemort.

Past that, these are still her people...her family...and she isn't about to just abandon them. Many in the group depend on her protection. Without her to dissuade and redirect him, Voldemort, if he ever found out they didn't completely support his views anymore, would likely kill them. So no, she isn't about to leave.

Katlin's perspective of the situation you mentioned was sort of vaguely touched on in the last chapter of Enemies and has been hit upon here several times. Katlin does not advocate the attack on or killing of children. She views that as the act of cowards, to attack someone weaker than yourself. When Voldemort tried to kill Harry as a baby, that was the act that shook Katlin's faith in Voldemort right to its roots. He had done the one things she never believed him capable of. Attacking a weaker opponent. And she might have been able to reason it off if he had come out of that failed attempt relatively the same. But I've always advocated that surviving that sort of a magical hit has got to scramble a few brain cells. The point is, he didn't come back the same man she once admired and was loyal to. And in addition to all that going on, she had not only fallen in love with, but had secretly married a man she should have killed the first time she laid eyes on him. And so she had to reinvent her world and her place in it from near scratch. No small task.

The fact that Harry is now part of her extended family plays a large part in how she deals with him. A situation that seriously dictated her actions in Runaway. Regardless of what Voldemort wanted her to do, in order to comply, she had to use and betray a member of her extended family. Something that did not sit well with her at all.

Currently, as mentioned, Katlin works behind the scenes helping her husband and Orin Bale keep Voldemort from going completely off the deep end and trying to maintain the status quo between the Deatheaters and the Ministry.

Is she a 'redeemed' character, as people seem to constantly want to make her? In my opinion, no. She has held steadfastly to her beliefs and does not see anything she has done as wrong. To her, it is the Ministry who are the evil in her world and need to be stopped.

All reviews are as of 03/08/2008.

And remember;

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Original mine. Something less than original someone else's.

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**CHAPTER 17: SEARCH AND SEIZURE**

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Orion was just pulling his robe on when the knock sounded at the door. He had just barely an hour to help Katlin prepare for her part in everything and make sure the rest of the family was prepared as well. Thomas, as far as he could tell, was dead to the world in his bed once again, while Justin and Vincent were sitting anxiously huddled in their own beds, waiting for the Aurors to arrive. Orion had woken the three boys up briefly to explain what was going to be happening, then advised them all to stay out of the way as much as possible.

He had only woken Lucy up a few minutes earlier to explain her role in everything, then quickly sent her off to Katlin's room to help there. Thankfully, the girl had been all too eager to help Katlin avoid capture by the Ministry, and she hadn't pressed for details. Orion had promised to explain everything to them all later, but for now, he explained, all they had to do was simply play their parts.

Sighing to himself, and fixing his mind-set, Orion opened the door to a very serious looking young man.

"Anthony." He greeted the other man, tying off the belt of his robe. "Bit early for a raid, isn't it?" He joked, giving the man a genuine grin, but not for the reason he was sure the young Auror thought. To the Auror, he was sure it came off as a very poorly placed joke. To Orion, it was one small dig he couldn't help getting in.

The young man cleared his throat. "Ummm...actually, sir...Mr. Black..."

Orion pulled off a very stunned look. "Mr. Black?" He gave the young Auror a good natured hit to the shoulder. "Anthony, it's me. Orion. Come on, lad. I've known you since you joined up with Loudmen's lot. Orin's still making a lot of noise to the Minister to get you switched over. Wants you with the Unspeakables so badly the man's about to start trying bribes." He stepped back from the door. "Well, if it's this early Martin must want something awfully bad himself. Come on in, lad. Have some tea. Or would you prefer..." Orion stopped as he took note of the other man who stepped from the side of the door into view. "Primm? Martin send you too? Well, come on in. We're just about to have some tea." Orion added, stepping outside the door.

He already knew the scene he was going to meet, but he still managed to make a good show of surprise at seeing a dozen or more other Aurors standing off to either side if his doorway.

Turning back to the young Auror, Orion frowned slightly. "I don't think I have enough for all your friends here, Anthony." He said with a touch of caution before turning to the other man. "Primm, what's going on?" He asked, turning once more to Anthony, who was looking more uncomfortable by the minute.

"Orion Black." The second Auror announced formally. "We have an order from the Ministry of Magic to make a lawful search of your home and to conduct a seizure of any unlawful items or persons found therein."

Orion gave the man a stunned look. "A search and seizure? Of my house!" He asked. "Or more appropriately, my parents house. What in magic's name are they looking for? Does Loudmen think I'm hiding the dark lord in my cellar?"

Although nothing until then had been really any surprise to him, Orion positively cringed when he heard the cellar door bang open, and too late realized he had said the wrong thing and that someone had obviously found all the early morning activity to interesting to resist.

A large, dark swirling mist poured out of the open doorway as all three men turned to it. Then out of the thick fog swept a figure the two Aurors wasted no time in identifying.

"The Dark Lord!" One of them shouted out the warning.

Fifteen wands snapped to attention as the Aurors prepared themselves for the fight of their lives. But Orion only sighed as he stared at the Dark Lord's figure, standing menacingly in the cellar's doorway. With another sigh he turned and walked over to the figure, which waved its wand threateningly at him.

"Will you just stop?" He stated in an irritated tone.

"Black!" Primm yelled. "Get out of the way!"

Orion turned back to the man. "Not until a certain boggart has learned to stop playing his idle games this early in the morning."

Fifteen wands snapped back down.

"Boggart?" Primm asked.

Orion pointed to the cellar doorway. "Back!" He stated. "And stay there until I say so. You're timing is absolutely abysmal."

Primm had gone back to looking like someone put way too much starch in his shirt.

"I understand your family maintains a boggart on the premises." He stated. "During our time here it would be much appreciated if you would keep him properly secured."

"Then stay out of the cellar." Orion replied over his shoulder as he turned back to Bo, who was managing to look very crestfallen. "Oh, just stop it." He stated. "You scared the knickers off of half of them."

The comment brightened the boggart's outlook considerably as he turned back to his Channeler and gave a happy trill.

"Now behave yourself." Orion answered, giving the boggart a small smile. "And stay put until we sort this out."

The rest of the Aurors had taken Orion's time chatting with the tower of dark robes to establish themselves in the foyer, all now focusing their attention on their leader for instructions.

"Mr. Black," Primm stated, "We are going to need to search the cellar."

The tower of dark robes immediately swooped over to the Auror like a specter, waving its hands at him and shaking its head frantically as it trilled a mile a minute at him.

Primm pulled back slightly from the boggart and turned towards Orion. "What's he want!" He ask in a tone that tried to hide his nervousness at the boggart's proximity, and failed miserably.

Orion sighed, trying to keep the smile off his lips. "He doesn't want you going in the cellar. It's sort of his 'territory', and he's very...'territorial'."

Primm pulled himself back up. "Explain to him please, Mr. Black, that we are following orders from the Minister of Magic, and that as such, we are authorized..."

Orion had had enough of the pomp and circumstance from the Auror. "Primm." He stated, waving the man off. "Let's get some things straight here, and this is going to go a lot faster for everyone. First off, Bo! Heel!"

The boggart turned back to his Channeler. The tower of dark robes instantly dissolved into the shape of a large black dog that immediately ran back to Orion and positioned himself at his side.

"Good boggart." Orion stated, patting Bo on his head and giving his ears a quick scratch, to which the dog whined softly and nuzzled his hand.

"Now," Orion stated, "you all know me, and I know each of you. And since we all know each other, I, for one, would like to cease the formalities. I'm Orion. Not 'Mr. Black', 'perpetrator', or 'hereby referred to as', all right? With that established, and since we also all know procedure," he added, waving the others towards the rest of the house, "off you boys go while Primm and I have a nice little chat."

The dog whined loudly.

"However, I would appreciate you saving the cellar for last. After Primm and I have had our little chat."

The Aurors turned almost as a single unit towards their leader, who, with his eyes still fixed on the man in front of him, gave a curt nod.

Orion knew nothing was going to irritate the Auror more than having command of his group usurped. And the act had gotten him exactly the response he wanted. Primm was now off-balanced in his attack, and Orion intended to use it to his full advantage.

As soon as the last of the Aurors left the foyer, Orion brought his arsenal to the forefront. Keep the man off balance and keep working the advantage he had carefully orchestrated.

"What the blasted sparks is Martin up to, Primm?" He fired off. "Coming to my house at this bloody hour! For what!" Orion fanned his arms out around the foyer. "Looking for Deatheaters hiding in my house?"

The Auror sighed loudly as he crossed his arms in front of him. "I am not authorized to discuss this mat..."

Orion fixed a hard stare on the man. "Primm...," he stated in a low, dangerous tone, "we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice. Now, you can tell me what the bloody crick is going here, or I can place a call to Orin Bale and bring him into this. And trust me, he won't be coming alone. In less than a minute, he will have everyone of your Aurors being shadowed by one of his agents. And then, no matter what, you know their only going to see what we want them to see. So what's it going to be?"

The man didn't so much as move. But Orion clearly read the indecision in the man's face.

"Fine." He pressed. "We'll do it the hard way." Turning around, Orion lit a small fire before him.

"Wait!"

Orion paused, then extinguished the fire as he turned back to the man, who was positively glaring at him.

"You know very well I'll lose my job if Loudmen gets wind of anything not being proper here."

"And Martin has a stick up his backside that's a mile long." Orion replied flatly. "Primm, I don't want you as an enemy, and I don't want you to lose your job, though why you want to keep it is a mystery to me. Orin would take you on in a minute. So, with all that established, just tell me what in the name of magic is going on here."

The Auror took a deep breath, looking casually about the foyer before he turned back to the Unspeakable.

"Loudmen," he replied in a very low, whispered tone, "got a report from that there was a Deatheater on the prem...that you had a Deatheater living in the house. And not just one, but two. And one of them was an Elite."

Orion's eyebrows shot up. "An Elite!"

Primm looked about again before settling his stare once more on Orion. "Katlin Griss."

Orion did an admirable job of looking so startled at the accusation he was speechless for several seconds.

"Ka...?" He stopped himself abruptly. "Doesn't that idio...doesn't Loudmen think that if Katlin Griss was hiding in my house, I'd bloody well know it!"

Primm shook his head. "Griss could sit on the Minister's lap and he would never know it, Orion. You and I both know how good the woman is."

Orion acknowledged the comment with a short nod. "And I know what a bloody fool Loudmen is too." He replied with disdain. "He smelled a trophy and he went running after it."

"Don't give me your high morals, Orion." The Auror replied. "You know bloody good and well that if it had been the Unspeakables, that Bale would have done the same thing. We've been after Griss for years. No one would have ignored a chance to capture her."

"But in my house!" Orion stated in a forced whisper. "Where in the name of magic exactly does he suspect I'm hiding her?"

Primm stared back at the man, but didn't answer.

"Primm?" Orion ask.

The man sighed, once more looking about the foyer. "Loudmen's source says that Griss is your wife."

Orion stared at the man for several seconds before he quickly tapped the dog on the head and then took off in a sprint for the stairs. And with every step he hoped everyone would play their part to perfection now.

Primm wasted no time in trailing him, paying no attention to the dog which had already disappeared.

"Orion!" He yelled after him. "What the name of magic are you doing?"

Lucy was already waiting for him at the top of the stairs.

"Orion?" She stated in a frightened voice. "There are men outside Katlin's room! They want to go in! I told them they couldn't and they started getting real insistent. I told them..."

Orion eased her to the side as he went past. "It's okay, Lucy." He replied. "I'll deal with this."

Orion hurried down the hall to what he hoped now was only Katlin's room. Everything of his was to have been moved out as part of Katlin's preparation from last night.

"What's going on here!" He demanded, coming up to a group of six men standing outside the door while a very determined dog stood guard. Each man was eyeing the animal with an undisguised amount of hesitancy.

"Sir...Orion," the young Auror Orion had first met at the door spoke up nervously, "we need to inspect this room. Could you ask the...dog...to let us pass?"

Primm had come up behind Orion and now positioned himself directly in front of the Unspeakable.

"Katlin?" He asked in a hissed whisper.

Orion met the man's stare with his own. "Hekren!" He replied firmly. "My wife's maiden name is 'Hekren'. Katlin Hekren."

The man stood for several moments just staring at Orion. But underneath that stare Orion could feel the man trying to feel out the lie. But he knew all to well how futile the attempt was. Without even trying he let the man find what he wanted, because what he had told him was the truth. Katlin's maiden name was 'Hekren'. 'Griss' had been the name Voldemort had given her. And alias to hide her real identity.

Finally the man turned back to the others over his shoulder. "I'll deal with this matter. The rest of you go on with your search and report back."

The group quickly returned to their search, leaving just Orion and Primm in the hallway, Bo protectively standing still at his Channeler's side.

"Our orders were to check every room in this house, Orion. As a one time member of my department, I'm giving you this favor. I'll be the only one to check your wife's room, but check it I will."

Orion didn't consider the offer as much. "And you have to understand that my wife is a very fragile woman." He stated in a low, firm voice. "Things out of the ordinary upset, confuse, and frighten her. Something, due to her health, she doesn't need. I was just lucky to get up here in time to stop your lads from busting down her door to get into her room. Something that could have had a very serious effect on her health."

Primm pulled himself up, folding his arms behind his back. "I have to check the room." He repeated.

Orion sighed to himself. "Bo." He stated, "go back down to the cellar. Stay there until I call you."

The dog looked up at his Channeler, gave a low whine and thumped his tail on the carpet several times.

"I'll take care of this." He replied. "Just do as I've ask please."

The dog whined once more, but abruptly vanished.

Orion turned back to see Primm eyeing him questioningly.

"Bo is Katlin's protector. He's very fond of her. And if you were to even by mistake do anything to upset her, he'll react. And it won't be pleasant for anyone."

"And I expect you to be able to control your boggart." Primm replied formally. "If not, I'll do whatever is necessary to protect my men and myself."

Orion stared at the man. "I'll need a moment alone with her to prepare her. I'll leave the door open, but you are to stay outside this door until I call you in."

Primm considered the order, then finally gave a short nod.

Orion slowly opened the door and stepped into the room, leaving it open so that Primm could see most of the room.

Walking over to the king sized bed that sat situated in the middle of the far wall of the room, Orion carefully sat down and addressed the figure in the bed in a low, solicitous tone. The comforter was piled up around the figure so the person in the bed could not be seen easily. But as Orion spoke, the figure readjusted itself. 

Slowly rolling over, the figure tried to pull itself up, but failed miserably, giving a soft cry of pain as it fell back into the bed. Orion carefully reached down and helped pile a pillow behind, then helped the figure ease itself up against the pillows behind it.

Even as hardened as he was by his years with the department, Primm pulled back slightly at the sight that greeted him.

Laying in the bed was a figure he could only partly even define as human, as badly scarred and disfigured as it was. One arm was little more than bone with flesh plastered over it, while the other barely resembled an arm at all from what was left of it. A shriveled stump that ended in a hand whose fingers were only half the length he reasoned they should have been, all covered by skin whose every inch was scarred or burnt in some way.

But it was the face that froze Primm to his spot in the hallway.

If the figure had been female, it was only the hair that attested to it. Thin wisps of colorless hair covered the head, lending to give some indication of the rest of the geography of the face. For there was little else to go by. Only a thin line gave testament to where the mouth was, and two violet eyes stared out at him. But there was little else to it.

Orion took the woman's hand and gently wrapped his about it in a light hold, turning finally to the man standing stock still in the doorway.

"Mathew Primm," he stated evenly, "I'd like you to meet my wife, Katlin Hekren Black."

**Q&A**

Silverfox:

**Wasn't Bo able to transport people through apparition fields in one of the earlier stories? (Not sure, just a vague memory that something of the sort happened.)  
Not so sure Voldemort would want Tom as a death eater. Then he might actually mess up in the Ministry's favour. ;)  
No, haven't been peeking, but after the things you said about Loudmen not meeting Bo, I do have another theory: The person he will meet will be Orin ... with an outside chance of it being Talon instead, but everything seems to point at Orin at the moment and I suspect Orin would much enjoy personally giving the Auror a dressing down he won't soon forget.**

So sorry for missing you last time, Dear. The review wasn't up yet when I posted.

I don't remember that in any other story, but I'm sure he could, Dear. I mean, Bo is pure magic. Very little that is magical can be used against him that he couldn't overcome fairly easily. I mean, it's literally the 'fighting fire with fire' idea, with one fire being a candle and the other a forest fire. The only reason Heudros was able to block him out of the castle at first in Family Relations was with Becca's help, but even that didn't stand against him very long.

And if you're referring to why didn't Orion let Bo apparate Katlin out of the house, that was because he knew the Aurors had alarms attached to that particular barrier. Anyone trying to get out would trigger them as they passed through the barrier. And that was the last thing he wanted to do.

I don't think the kid is much on anyone's Christmas card list at this point.

As for who Loudmen is going to meet up with when this is all over, all I will say on that subject is I am having just sooooo much fun writing that chapter.

**If Thomas really plans on not making Orion regret returning his wand to him, I predict that Orion will regret it before the end of the week ... Of course he had to give it back sometime.**

Well, true, he did have to eventually give it back, but how much he does or does not regret it in the near future remains to be seen.

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ilovesiriusblack:

**Ok Question, how did the aurors manage to get wards up without Bo noticing or was it one of these things that he just decided not to mention?  
I don't know what Katlin is hoping to achieve by meeting the rest of the department or how much influence the unspeakables are going to have over the aurors who seem to be pretty much a dog with a bone at the moment.  
Looking forward to the next chapter.**

Answer.

This is your writing lesson 101. You have a basically very powerful character whose abilities seem to reach well beyond the scope of most people. There is little he can't do, and even less that can be done to him.

Folks, that is a character doomed to bore your readers to sleep in five pages if you don't give him some quirks.

Hence...Bo. Bo has one very big problem in his life. He simply doesn't understand the creatures he is forced to interact with. Things would be fairly simple if they would be consistent in their actions, but their not. They keep 'changing the rules', in Bo's opinion. They're happy one minute, angry the next, then happy again. They just don't seem to have a lot of stability. But he has to deal with them. So, to keep things simple, Bo relies on very specific information and instructions. Orion has hit on this point several times with Katlin. When you tell Bo to do something, you really have to cover all your basis, because Bo will only do what he is told specifically to do. If you tell him to 'keep people out of the house', that's what he'll do. But if said people decide to put up a barrier around the house..., well, that doesn't fall into the 'keeping them out of the house' area. So to Bo, it isn't part of his job, and therefore not worth mentioning. Plus, no one ask him.

Also, you have to take into account Bo's own natural curiosity about things. Especially new things. This is something that will come up in Family Ties and something that will give poor Orion a lot of headaches.

So, how did the Aurors manage to get wards up around the house without Bo noticing? They didn't. Bo knew very well what they were doing. But no one else seemed interested in the actions, so neither was he, because to him, they were no threat.

Well, as this chapter showed, she wasn't planning to meet, nor does she need to meet, the rest of the department. Just a select few, who will do the rest for her. Let's face it, no ones above gossip, especially when the stories a good one. And the first appearance of the rarely mentioned and never seen 'Mrs. Black' is practically a match set to gasoline.

Let me point something out here real quick also. It isn't the departments that don't get along. As shown in this chapter, Orion knows most of these people. There may be some general envy and a few hurt feelings over who gets picked for the Unspeakables and who doesn't, but the two department employee have nothing seriously against each other.

Now their respective bosses...that's a whole other story.

**Ok I'm stumped I have no idea how they are going to pull this off. I'm sure Orion could pull off a number of stunts to explain why his wife is never seen in public but not one that is going to fit with what Thomas has already told the aurors. Can't wait to see how you write this one. I would also like to second Master Lupins quuestion of whats going to happen when they find out who they are related to.**

**Looking forward to the next chapter.**

WOW! It's not very often I can pull one over on your guys!

Actually, I thought he solution to their problem seemed fairly obvious. But then, I'm writing this thing, so everything seems obvious to me.

The next chapter will tell how well Orion's 'set-up' fits in with what Thomas told the Aurors or not.

See MasterLupin's answer for the rest.

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MasterLupin:

**Hmm, this new information about Thomas' parents is leading me to believe that they were a part of a secrete organization dedicated to fighting the group in the North. Or at least in a group that was well in the know of everything that was going on. But the way that they viewed Orin leads me to believe that they are against Voldermort and the wizard in the North.  
How will Thomas react under pressure from an angry Auror with little sleep and the usual teenage hair trigger to anger? It will be interesting to see what happens.  
This new information about Loadman and his illegal wand collection might prove interesting, possible connection to the wizard in the North?  
When this all over I am thinking that Katlin and Orion are going to have a long sit and chat with the children about everything, and then an even longer one with Thomas.  
Random thought: How will the children react when they find out mass murder Sirius Black is their Uncle and the famous Harry Potter is their cousin?**

Thomas' parents were indeed a great deal more than two lowly file clerks. But what they did exactly will come up later, as well as who they were working for.

Hopefully, he'll never have to find out. Orion's plan is to take most of the wind out of their sails from the start. But you'll have to wait for the next chapter for that to all come to a head.

Nope, sorry. No connection there. The illegal wand is exactly what it is presented as. It is basically as valuable an object in the wizarding world as (as Orion pointed out) a stolen or filed gun is in the muggle world. You may know what did the crime, but your chances of connecting it to anyone are darned near nil.

If nothing else, one can only hope that Orion and Katlin have learned that it's best to get all your cards on the table to begin with, because half-truths can come back to haunt you just as easily as lies.

Actually, Katlin and Orion aren't nearly done with their adopted eldest yet. But that's yet to be seen.

Interesting thought. As that right now Thomas and Harry are about the same age and about to become cousins.

One can only hope that when it comes to Sirius that Katlin and Orion will refer back to the whole 'half-truths' thing and make a full disclosure instead.

All reviews are as of 03/15/2008.

And remember;

A very Happy Palm Sunday and St. Patrick's Day to all of you. Both are very special to PAR.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: First you'll note this is only Part One...which means there's at least a Part Two to this. That's next week.

Second, you'll note this is short. Some chapters are like that.

And third, as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Original=Mine. Not original=Someone else's who worked their tails off and made a ton of money off of it but it wasn't me.

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: EXPLANATIONS - PART ONE**

The figure in the bed did nothing more in response to the introduction than to turn her eyes to the man.

Primm, Orion noted with a great deal of satisfaction, could not have looked more uncomfortable.

"Mrs. Black." He all but stammered out. He seemed about to say something more, but stopped himself. Instead he remained standing in the doorway, looking for all the world like he wished he could simply could disappear.

Orion leaned down and lightly kissed his wife's hand, and, after whispering a few words to her, got up and headed back to where Primm still stood frozen under the figure's piercing stare.

Stepping outside the door as Primm dutifully stepped aside, Orion carefully closed it after himself before turning to face the still transfixed Primm.

But as the door closed, the Auror slowly turned to the man standing next to him.

"Great magic, Black!" He stated in a low whisper. "Why didn't you say something?"

Orion fixed a hard, cold stare on the man. "I believe I did."

"You said your wife was 'fragile'. You didn't say she was..." Primm's voice trailed off as he tried to search for the right word.

"...An invalid?" Orion finished for him. "I never saw the point." He replied to the unfinished comment. "Not until a pack of Aurors showed up on my doorstep one sunny morning telling me they were hunting Deatheaters and my house had just been declared Voldemort's new lair."

Primm paused as he glanced once more at the door. "What happened to your wife?" He asked.

Orion considered the question for some time before he answered it. Just enough to leave Primm wondering if the question was appropriate or not. 

"A fire." He finally replied.

"How long after you were married?" Primm ask.

"Before." Came the simple, but blunt reply.

Orion doubted the man could have looked more taken aback if he had just slapped him across the face. But the Auror quickly recovered himself and was instantly all business.

"Of course, due to the circumstances, I'll forego any further search of your wife's room. I can clearly see she does not need to be disturbed. And we'll conduct our search of the remaining area as quickly as possible. However, we will need to question each member of the household, including any staff and the children."

Orion gave a simple nod. He knew the procedure as well as did he know that protesting it would have looked suspicious. Besides, he was well prepared. He had worked with Thomas long enough to make him able to pass a simple questioning, and the others knew just enough to not have to lie to any questions put to them.

For the next several hours Orion contended with the Aurors searching about his house in the hope of finding anything that could even be remotely construed as a Deatheater having been on the premises.

As the Aurors swarmed over his house, Orion had simply stood back and watched as Bo took a delighted interest in their presence, popping out of different place and scaring them at every opportunity.

When Primm protested that Orion wasn't controlling the boggart as requested, Orion did reign Bo in a little. But for the most part, Orion allowed him to continue as before, explaining to Primm that the boggart was simply being a boggart and controlling him was not always as easy as people imagined. But the Unspeakable remained very firm on what would happen to any of Primm's Aurors who might accidentally attempt to dispatch his boggart. Not that Orion was truly worried about the effect of any such attempt on Bo, since the boggart was, in fact, not really a boggart at all. But the threat of retaliation was hopefully enough to keep any of them from even trying. The fact that the dispatching spell would not effect the boggart was likely more than enough to raise their interest, as desperate as they were getting to find anything even vaguely related to dark magic in the house.

When the time came for questioning the house staff and the children, Orion insisted he be allowed to be in the room with the children while they were being questioned. The house elves he knew well enough could handle themselves. Most of them were exactly like Tets and would view the Aurors attempts to learn anything as simply 'peoples snooping about their master's business where they oughtn't be'. Good luck getting anything there, he quietly mused as he watched several Aurors enter the room where Tets had gathered the other house elves.

But the children might need some support. So he insisted that he be present while they were each questioned.

The only one he didn't have the slightest worry about during the initial questioning was Thomas. The teenager was his usual slightly belligerent self, snapping off answers to the Aurors and basically giving the impression he thought the whole thing was a waste of his very valuable time.

Lucy was polite, but firm in her answers. But Orion could clearly see the worry in her eyes whenever the Aurors presented her with a question she wasn't sure about. Her two crystal blue eyes would immediately seek him out and beg for help. At such times Orion would quickly position himself at her side and offer a few comforting words. This had been the cue they had worked out the night before that she was to simply state she didn't have any answer to the question and Orion would take over, distracting them with his own words until he successfully would maneuver them away from the subject and on to something else.

Justin and Vincent were the easiest two since they, in fact, knew very little about what was really going on. And if the Aurors wanted to question Katy, that was their business.

Finally, hours later, a very apologetic Anthony returned to the foyer where his superior was once again locked in conversation with Orion. But the man broke off as soon as the Auror stepped up to him.

"Well?" Primm asked, already not liking the look on the other Auror's face.

Anthony paused for a moment as he glanced momentarily at Orion, then back at his superior. "Sir, we've conducted a very thorough search of the house and the surrounding grounds. All parties reports were negative." 

Orion could feel Primm's agitation rise. He had come on a surefire search and seizure and was now being forced to return to his superior empty handed.

Orion would not want to be in the man's shoes when he stood before Loudmen and had to report that he had found nothing.

The head Auror turned back to him with an absolutely expressionless face. "Well, it appears our source was not as well informed as we suspected." He stated. "I do, of course, apologize for disturbing you and your family, Orion. It has been a most unfortunate turn of events. We will be apparating out immediately."

Orion gave the man a brief nod.

No, he did not want to be in Primm's shoes at all.

**Q&A**

MasterLupin:

**Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig ort!**  
**Hope you enjoy palm Sunday and Easter. Should we expect a posting then?  
Anyway I think that what Orion and Katlin decided to do was unexpected. But with the dedication that Loadman has to getting his prize, I don't think Thomas is getting out of an intense interrogation no matter how good Orion is.  
I wonder if the degree of how harsh the interrogation is and Thomas performance in it will affect his punishment.  
I just noticed that the younger children have not played a role in the story for several chapters. I know that it point of view is primarily third person Thomas, but I would still think that he would interact with his brothers and sisters more considering the circumstances.**

Both were very enjoyable, Dear, thank you.

What? For St. Patrick's Day? Phhhffft. I'm taking the day off.

Actually, if you go back and re-read Chapters 9, 10, and 13, there was a lot Thomas told Loudmen that, held up to what Primm saw, is very contradictory. (But that will be covered in the next chapter.) And since things are not fitting together, it is very unlikely Thomas will get out of having to answer some very tough questions.

And considering the contradictions, a lot of readers may think Orion wasn't thinking very far ahead in missing some very obvious problems with his plan. But as the next chapter will show, the man is where he is for a reason. And it's mostly because he does cover all his bases.

Keep in mind, Orion also has the interrogation situation covered, if things come to that. He has already prepped Bo to shield Thomas as much as possible from the spells and charms the Aurors would use to try and detect if he's lying or not. It was for this reason Orion worked so hard to make sure the boy was ready for what he may face. Bo may be able to handle the magical side of things, but if the boy 'cracks' under pressure, there isn't much Bo can do.

No matter how well the kid performs, there's going to be punishment.

Well, technically, this is a Novella, so it is not nearly as descriptive or detailed as a novel would be. If I put in too many characters interacting, I add scenes, hence, pages. So some stuff has to be left out. And since the story does mainly focus on Katlin and Thomas' relationship, you don't see much of the others except when they are absolutely needed.

ilovesiriusblack:

**Ok your right now that I've read it it does seem like the obvious answer, no one is going to question why orion never brings his wife to ministry functions, but haven't they already been seen out together in public when they went to the adoption department? What happens when the person who handeled their case hears the rumours? If they try and pretend that was someone else couldn't they loose the kids?  
Looking forward to the next chapter.**

Well, Dear, you brought up a valid point. And I'm afraid the answer may not be the best. But understand, sometimes I can't plug all my story's holes. So for this one I would like to simply point out that the adoption agency is one department and the Aurors are another. For these two to interact past the vague possibility that each department employees someone who is married to someone in the other department, it is very unlikely that there is enough communication between the departments that the adoption agency would hear anything about this. Basically, it would be like the Department of Forestry hearing some idle gossip in the Department of Corrections. Just not very likely.

But, as pointed out in MasterLupin's answer, Orion has even this base covered.

Silverfox:

**pokes Come on, it's not funny anymore. Show the chapter!  
I've got an empty page here, no story, but I see that other people reviewed the chapter. :(**

Not sure what happened there, fox, but it does sound serious. My advice is to report FFN to themselves for abuse of readers. (PAR sits and wonders if the letters F, F, and N will show up in her answer after she posts, as that they usually disappear.)

All reviews are as of 3/22/2008.

And remember;

A very Happy Easter to you all. PAR is off to eat enough sweets and chocolate to put a diabetic in a coma. I should be down off the sugar high some time next week...or maybe next month.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N:

As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Original Mine. Not original Not mine.

****

CHAPTER NINETEEN: EXPLANATIONS - PART TWO

Thomas stood next to Orion as they watched the last of the Aurors disapparate back to the Ministry.

"Well, that wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be." Thomas commented as the last Auror disappeared with a small pop from the foyer.

Orion turned to look at the teenager. "That wasn't the half of it." He stated solemnly.

Thomas looked up at him. "But they're gone." He said. "They didn't find what they wanted, so they've left. It's over."

Orion gave him a small, mirthless smile. "For the others it may be over," He stated. "But for you it hasn't even begun."

Thomas didn't have to think twice that he didn't like the sound of that statement. "What do you mean?"

Orion kept his stare fixed on the boy. "Thomas, what do you think is going to happen when Anthony and Primm go back to the Ministry and report to Loudmen that they didn't find any Deatheaters in the house?"

The teenager thought for a moment, then shrugged.

"Go ahead and guess." Orion pressed.

Thomas thought again. "Well..., they searched the whole house and didn't find anything. They questioned us and we gave them all the right answers. There was nothing here to find. So they'll just guess they made a mistake and that's the end of it."

Orion gave a small chuckle. "Son, I did not sit up all night with you just so you could answer a few standard, baseline questions from some Ministry underlings."

"What do you mean?"

"Thomas, you told the head of the Department of Aurors that my wife was a Deatheater. When he sent half his people to my house at some unforgivable hour to make a search and seizure, all they found were five children, a boggart, and a woman unable to leave her bed. How do you think Loudmen is feeling right now?"

Thomas felt something very cold start up his spine. "He's probably going to be pretty upset." He ventured.

"The word you are looking for," Orion informed him calmly, "is 'pissed'. And who exactly do you think he is going to come looking to for answers as to why he didn't find a lair of Deatheaters hiding in my house?"

At first Thomas only stared up at the man next to him, his eyes slowly growing wider. "What are we going to do?" He asked suddenly. "If Loudmen thinks I lied to him, he'll kill me."

Orion huffed at the assessment. "He's not going to kill you." He replied in a level tone. "He's just going to hurt you a lot. And as for what we're going to do, we've all ready done it. This, Thomas, is what last night was all about."

Thomas studied the man for a moment. "You were expecting this." He said finally.

Orion stared back down at him, giving the boy a small, but smug smile. "Thomas, I may not always know 100 what someone is up to, but trust me, they're going to have to get up pretty darned early in the morning to get something past me. And I'm an early riser."

"So what do I do?" The boy ask, fighting hard to keep the nervousness out of his voice.

"My suggestion for now is just to wait. Loudmen will come to you, trust me. Because you're the only one who has what he wants."

"And what's that?"

"Answers."

Orion watched as Thomas went up the stairs.

He had instructed the teenager to stay in his room the rest of the night. He had little doubt Loudmen would waste no time in trying to contact his 'source'. And Thomas being alone in the room could easily be explained off as his punishment for having involved the family in such a traumatic morning. As for Justin and Vincent, Orion told him, he and Katlin would keep the two younger boys with them for the night, giving Thomas plenty of privacy and keeping Justin and Vincent from getting any more involved than they already were.

But the Unspeakable frowned slightly as he watched the boy disappear up the stairs. Thomas had carried the initial questioning session off like a well seasoned pro. 'A little too well prepared', Orion thought as he had listened to the boy give each answer. Primm might not sense the underlying preparation, but Loudmen might.

So far Thomas had done fine, keeping his fear in tight check and answering questions put to him. But Thomas had been facing practically amateurs with the other Aurors when it came to the art of interrogation. Against Loudmen, the boy would be facing a seasoned, hardened interrogator who could get the truth out of you one word at a time if he had to.

"Bo." Orion called.

The boggart instantly appeared at his Channeler's side.

"Bo, tell me what you are to do with Thomas one more time." He stated.

Bo went through a series of gestures in rapid succession, to which Orion finally gave a small nod.

"Very good. See that you do just that. And be sure you stay with him." Orion stated. "Because things could get very messy very fast."

Bo gave a soft trill and nodded quickly to his Channeler, finishing off with a quick pat on the head before he disappeared again.

Thomas didn't have to wait long for Loudmen's call.

Late that night a small but dramatic fire erupted in the small fire place in his room. Thomas guessed if the fire was any indication of how Loudmen was feeling right now, Orion was pretty much on the mark with his assessing word.

"Belker!" A voice shot from the flames.

Thomas considered staying silent for all of about three seconds until a face appeared in the flames.

"Yes." Came the level reply.

"Are you alone?"

"For now I am."

"Good."

Thomas didn't have time to think about calling out to anyone. One instant he was in his room at the Black estate, the next he was sitting before the desk of the Director of the Aurors for the second time, meeting the same unfriendly stare he had the first time just a few days before.

"Well, Mr. Belker," Loudmen started out socially enough, "it would appear we have a bit of a problem."

Thomas offered nothing in reply. Orion had been very firm, and repeated to him almost every minute last night that he was to say nothing unless a question was directly put to him. He was not to speculate, hypothesize, or enter into a friendly chat with the man. Some Aurors, Orion told him, were better at one thing than another. Loudmen, he had told the teenager, could read people's voices better than anyone he knew.

With one word the man would know if you were lying to him.

Loudmen seemed to waited for some sort of answer before he finally leaned forward, laying his arms on his desk as he folded his hands.

"Thomas, I sent a troop of my best men over to Black's house this morning. And do you know what they found?"

Thomas again remained silent. Part of what Orion had drilled into him last night had been what was and what was not a rhetorical question with Loudmen. This fell directly into the 'rhetorical' category.

"Nothing." Came the well-tempered statement. "There were no Deatheaters in that house, Thomas. All my Aurors reported back to me was one very aggravating boggart and a woman who couldn't have left her bed if she had want to. Now," Loudmen said in the same deceptively calm, level voice, "perhaps we go over your story once more, this time applying to it the facts we now know to be true."

Thomas only nodded in response.

"Thomas," Loudmen said, "when my Aurors went to that house, what they reported they saw was an invalid laying in a bed who Orion Black introduced as his wife."

"And I told you what I saw." Thomas said. "I saw her that night. She was standing on the top landing of the stairs, talking to the dark robed figure."

"Ah." Loudmen stated, leaning back in his chair and steepling his fingers in front of him. "Let's discuss that other figure for a moment, shall we?"

"He's a Deatheater too." Thomas quickly put in.

"Thomas, my Aurors saw that figure as well. And I'll grant it to you, it's a perfectly understandable mistake to have made, seeing something like that in a dark hallway. But that person you saw was no person at all. He was a boggart."

"Boggart?" Thomas asked quietly.

"And that would explain as well why this other person you saw was conversing with him using only sign language. It's a well-known fact among the department, Thomas, that the Black family keeps a boggart...as...a pet, of sorts. And Black explained his family had come up with a few simple hand gestures to communicate with the boggart, since boggarts don't speak. They make sounds, but nothing we have yet to discern as language. And I believe that also explains why the house elf..." Loudmen shifted through some papers on his desk, "...Tets...knew that the dog wasn't really a dog at all. He knew it was only the boggart currently running around in the form of a dog."

"I told you what I saw." Thomas repeated as firmly as he could. "I saw Mr. Black's wife standing on the top of the stairs, talking to...to that boggart."

Loudmen leaned back in his chair again, steepling his fingers once more in front of him. "Yes, you told us that, Thomas."

"And your two Aurors checked me. They said I wasn't lying."

"That's true also." Loudmen replied casually. "But all that tells me, Thomas, is that you believe what you told us. It's not an infallible marker that what you said was true."

"It was true!"

Loudmen held up a finger. "Thomas, what you told us was that you saw Katlin Black...standing...in a dark hallway, talking to a Deatheater. Now, so far we have dismissed the charge of who she was talking to. That was a boggart. Not a Deatheater. My agents have also provided indisputable proof that Katlin Black wasn't standing anywhere for at least the past fifteen years. That woman is an invalid, and it was no spell thought up by Black to make his wife look that way. My top ranking Auror was in the room at the time with them and he reports there was no spell being used at the time. The woman in the bed was Black's wife."

"I saw her!" Thomas stated firmly.

Loudmen studied the boy for a moment. "Thomas, I believe you saw something that night. But you yourself said it was a dark hallway..."

"It was her!" Thomas nearly shouted at the man.

Loudmen once more only stared back at the boy, and Thomas swore he could practically feel the man trying to feel out some indiscernible reaction from him.

"Thomas," Loudmen finally spoke again, "understand that you're not in any sort of trouble here. You made what you felt was a truthful report. We don't punish people for that. Not every report is right, and some are just more difficult than others to sort out. Deatheaters are, after all, very clever.

Now, I believe that something is going on in Black's house. I need you to help me sort out what it is, all right?"

Thomas only nodded.

"Good." Loudmen replied with a small smile. "Now, in order to do that, I need to figure out what of what you told us is the truth, and what could be something else."

"Something else?"

"People make mistakes, Thomas, in what they see or perceive they see. If they perceive something they see to be the truth, they'll stand by it as such, because no one offers them anything different as an explanation. For instance," he added, "You say you saw Katlin standing in a dark hallway. But we know for a fact Mrs. Black isn't 'standing' anywhere. So, isn't it possible the person you saw wasn't Katlin Black?"

Thomas started to answer, but stopped himself. "But she was." He replied.

"How do you know that?"

"I saw her several times, always standing. And it was always the same woman."

"Perhaps the woman you saw was someone else. A housekeeper? A cook?"

Thomas shook his head. "The woman I saw that night in the hallway was the same woman Mr. Black introduced to us as his wife. She was with him when he came to pick us up at the agency. The people there knew her. And Mr. Black always treated her like his wife." Thomas frowned at the man. "That was his wife in the hallway that night."

Loudmen frowned at the boy's statement. "Thomas, is this woman you saw the only woman you have ever seen in that house?"

Thomas nodded.

"No one else?"

Thomas shook his head.

Loudmen paused for several seconds as he studied the boy in front of him. "All right, Thomas. That's all for now."

The teenager was somewhat startled by the abrupt end to the session. "What?"

"I don't want to risk having you gone from the house too long. Someone may come into the room and find you missing. One last thing though. I will need the wand back." Loudmen said, holding his hand out.

Thomas stared at the man's open hand before turning back to him. "I didn't bring it with me." He admitted. "I didn't exactly have time to get it."

Loudmen frowned slightly. "I need that wand back as soon as possible, Thomas." He replied. "Can you get it?"

Thomas nodded.

"Bring it the next time you come." Loudmen ordered. "We'll talk again soon."

As soon as the boy disappeared, another man appeared in the same chair where he had been sitting.

"So?" Loudmen ask.

"Everything he said felt like the truth to me." Loudmen's second-in-command replied. "If he was lying, he was a top notch pro at it."

"Or very well coached." Loudmen replied, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Coached?"

"Some of the boy's answers were just too polished, Jon. And his whole demeanor was different. He was far more confident of himself this time. Like he was prepared for us. Every word he spoke was said like he had practiced it over and over and over again until he was saying it almost automatically."

The man frowned. "So now what?"

Loudmen slowly shook his head. "Something is going on in that house. I'd bet my last Knut on it. Black states that woman Primm saw was his wife. And yet the boy gives no indication he's ever even seen such a woman in the house. In fact, the only woman he's ever seen is the one he claims is the Deatheater."

The man raised an eyebrow. "So what do you think?"

Loudmen tapped his desk with one finger several times before answering. "I think there's one of two things going on, Jon. One, that the woman this boy has seen has everyone in that house under an Imperius Curse the likes of which I have never seen before."

"And two?"

"That Orion Black knows exactly who his wife is, and that whole scene this morning was set up to be exactly what he wanted us to see."

The other wizard considered the two possibilities. "So what's the next step then?" He ask.

"For right now we sit tight. Give the boy a few days to relax his guard. From the way he acted, I have no doubt who his 'coach' was. And if I'm right, we have two new problems. Number one, Thomas has apparently switched sides. And two, as far as questioning that boy goes, I might as well be questioning Orion Black."

Just as suddenly as he had left it, Thomas found himself deposited back in his room at the Black estate.

"Well, that didn't take long." A clear voice stated as Thomas landed in the middle of the room.

The teenager pulled himself up to his feet as he turned to face Orion. "He said he didn't want to risk anyone noticing I was gone. So he cut things short."

"He also doesn't want me to know his Aurors left a tunnel into my house." Orion replied with a small scowl.

"A tunnel?"

"A barrier through my wards." Orion replied. "There was no alert you had left the house, so I came up to check. The only way you could have gotten out of the house without my knowing it was a 'tunnel'. Bo!"

The tower of dark robes appeared as quickly as ever.

"Bo, there's a tunnel in one of the wards. I want you to locate it, but don't remove it, all right? Just mark the location and we'll deal with it later."

The boggart nodded once and quickly disappeared.

"All right then." Orion stated, facing the teenager once again. "Let's hear it."

Thomas immediately set into a narration of his time with Martin Loudmen, recalling everything as closely to verbatim as he could the way Orion had taught him. The tricks the Aurors used were actually pretty simple once you understood them in principle. But still, applying the lessons Orion had taught him, Thomas was still amazed at how easily things came back to him as he recite the scene back to the Unspeakable.

After about fifteen minutes of near non-stop talking, Thomas came to the end of his story. That was the method he had employed of the ones Orion had taught him. The one he had liked the best. Simply view the entire event like a story you read and had to tell someone else about using one specific item for detail in each scene. Each detail was linked to a specific scene. And each scene simply flowed into the next by a connecting detail. All in all the method worked like a charm and Thomas felt he had covered his time in the Auror's office down to nearly each and every word.

The hardest part for him was remembering the conversation concerning the apparent discrepancy between the two women claiming to be Mrs. Black. One who was an invalid and one who appeared to have no physical handicap at all.

Orion had been very firm about how Thomas was to answer any question regarding this. 'Stick to the truth', he had been told.

And if Loudmen pressed the issue, he was simply to fall back to his standard disclaimer.

'Just tell them flat out that you only told them what you saw and stop there', Orion had advised. 'Don't offer any more information than that and don't let them try and force anything more out of you. And if they try, just repeat that phrase.'

Thomas had worked the longest the night before going over the details of this part of questioning with Orion. Remembering exactly what he was to say and how much and where to stop.

"Is that all?" Orion ask when the boy stopped talking.

Thomas nodded, waiting for the Unspeakable's reaction. But Orion simply stood on the center of the room, staring off to the side in thought.

"Did I do something wrong?" Thomas finally ask. He had been expecting at least a small amount of praise for what he had accomplished. Not absolute silence.

The question roused Orion out of his thoughts. "Hmmm?" He quickly shook his head. "No, Thomas. You did fine. Remarkably well, as a matter of fact." Orion went back to his silent pondering for the moment.

"So what's wrong then?" The teenager ask after a few more seconds went by.

"Tell me what you thought of Loudmen." Orion ask.

Thomas stared back at the man with a slightly quizzical look. "Loudmen?" He ask. "He was...Loudmen. Just the way he's always been. I thought he did a pretty quick 180 on me. But he's always been a bit hard to figure out."

"180? In what way?"

"Well, when I first got there, I thought the man was going to have me for dinner the way he was glaring at me. It was like you said. The man was not happy. But halfway through things he suddenly...mellowed out...a lot. Suddenly he's telling me...like I said...that I didn't do anything wrong. Not to worry. Deatheaters are clever. All that stuff. In the last five minutes the only thing that seemed to even mildly annoy him was when I told him I didn't have the wand with me. But he just told me to be sure to bring it the next time."

"There won't be a next time." Orion stated firmly.

"What?"

"You're not going back." Orion stated just as resolutely. "In fact, I don't want you ever to be alone until this is settled. I'm going to put Bo in charge of guarding you. If Loudmen tried to abduct you again, he'll be in for a very unpleasant surprise."

"But why?" Thomas ask. "What's wrong?"

"That '180' Loudmen did." Orion stated. "My guess is if the man doesn't suspect you've been coached, he's plenty suspicious right now. And if he suspects you've been coached, he probably also suspects you're no longer on his side of this. To him, Thomas, you are now the enemy. And trust me, you do not want to be Martin Loudmen's enemy."

The teenager's eyes grew wide with worry. "What are we going to do then?" He ask.

Orion gave a quiet sigh. "My suggestion would be to get a good night's sleep. We're both going to need it."

"Why?"

"Because first thing tomorrow morning" Orion replied solemnly, "we're going to go to see Orin Bale."

****

Q&A

Silverfox:  
**Don't worry, the chapter did show up yesterday and this one is fine, so whatever it was seems to have been fixed. I've tried to report a bug to a certain site with a mysteriously self deleting name only once before and its reaction was as obvious as its name in my review. (You didn't think I was poking you, right?)  
And I hope for the Aurors' sake that they did not attempt to "question" ( frighten to no effect) Katy. What would the next step be? Arresting pets and furniture? That'd look good on the front page of the Daily Prophet. In fact, most likely so will interrogating children.  
Can't wait to see Loudmen's reaction.**

The site-that-must-not-be-named-in-reviews is like that.

No, no, Dear. Did not think you were poking me at all.

Well, I don't know about Katy, but I toyed with the idea of having them try and question Bo. He would have enjoyed that so much.

And they did go easy on the kids. Mostly because the surrogate father was in the room at all times. If one of them had shown the slightest fear or distress, he would likely have gone into a meltdown and done someone an injury.

Loudmen's reaction for now may disappoint you. But understand, he's so darned methodical about what he does, he makes Orion look positively reckless. He's already missed his prey once. He doesn't want to miss again.

ilovesiriusblack:

****

I feel sorry for Thomas he didn't ask for any of this. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for Tets' interview I wonder how many Aurors got accused of being deatheaters in disguise?  
Looking forward to seeing how Orion handles Loudman in the next chapter.

Indeed, it must have been quite a challenge for the Aurors to interrogate someone who is interrogating them back.

"Are you a Deatheater?"

"Is you's...sir?"

Slow going on that one.

Actually, Orion isn't the one who is going to 'handle' Martin Loudmen. That pleasure goes to the person who probably wants it the most.

MasterLupin:

****

Well this chapter doesn't seem to give me any new knowledge, although it was interesting to know that Orion has more then one house elf, here I was thinking it was just Tetz. I liked Bo popping up all over the place and scaring Aurors, made me think about how he was so good at freaking out Harry and Ron when they stumble into the basement.  
Although a funny thought occurs to me, Bo mimicking a Cadbury Easter egg. I think that it has potential.  
Well now that the interrogation is over, how will Loudman comedown on Thomas? It's not like Thomas is going to seek the man out now that he just double-crossed him. I'm thinking that Katlin and/or Orion will be taking the kids out for stuff or just a day outside (seems like they never go outside) and Thomas will not be allowed to stay behind. While outside an Auror or two will grab Thomas and take him to Loudman, for a more in depth questioning without Orion's watching over him.

Well, it was a short chapter, Dear. Hope this one gives you a bit more.

Of course there's more than just one, Dear. Poor Tets having to take care of that whole house himself? That would be like one maid to clean a five star hotel. Poor thing would never have time to sleep.

Poor Bo would be in danger around my house. I really love those things.

Well, I don't know that Loudmen 'came down' on Thomas. He doesn't want to alienate the teenager. Not when he's his only connection to Katlin.

Well, give it time, Dear. They've only been there a few days.

Nothing so hostile. Again, Loudmen doesn't want to scare the boy off completely. Currently Thomas is still Loudmen's information kiosk, and he has a few more questions.

All reviews are as of 03/30/2008.

And remember;

How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: OriginalMine. Not originalNot mine.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY: SORTING THINGS OUT

Bale sat through Orion's story without so much as a raised eyebrow.

For his part, Orion had divided his attention between his superior and the boy sitting next to him, staring at the man as though he couldn't quite believe he existed.

Finally, having felt he had covered everything, Orion fell silent and waited to see what Bale would have to say on the matter.

"Is that it?" The leader of the Unspeakables ask.

Orion nodded.

Bale got up from his chair and walked around to the front of his large oak desk, sitting himself on the edge as he stared down at the agent before him.

For all the world Orion thought he must look like a boy who got caught doing something wrong.

Bale obviously felt the same way.

"Tell me something." His superior began. "If you had honestly tried, planned this out from beginning to end, known everything that was going to happen," Bale ask, fanning his arms out to either side, "do you think you could have honestly screwed this up any better with just a little more effort?"

Orion gave the man a false smile. "Really. Don't hold back, Orin. How do you feel about this?"

Bale frowned down at the man before him. "You have put the life of one of my top informants in danger. Your own wife, no less! What should I be doing, Orion? Handing you a gold star and giving you a pay rise?"

"It wasn't all his fault." Thomas spoke up tentatively.

Bale turned his eyes to the teenager. "He is the adult here." The man stated in a cold voice. "He should have stopped this long before it got this far." The man turned back to Orion. "You should have come to me long before now and told me what was going on. You should have reported all this the moment Loudmen was involved."

"And I should have had five seconds to do all of that." Orion defended, "But I didn't. So I did the best I could, Orin."

"You should never have tried to go up against Loudmen, You may be good, Orion, but you are still no match for that man."

"I tried to let you know what was going on." Orion stated again in his defense. "But Loudmen moved too fast. I felt my priority in this was getting a plan together that would protect Katlin and the children. Not making 'reports' to my superior."

"Well, you have one thing right in all of this." Bale stated. "Loudmen smells blood, and he's not going to back off on this."

"But it's not his fault." Thomas quickly interjected again. "I was the one who went to Loudmen in the first place. I'm the one who told him Katlin was a Deatheater."

Bale turned his stare on the boy, but didn't say anything.

"I thought the Deatheaters were responsible for my parents murders." Thomas answered the unspoken question. "And when I saw the boggart transform from a dog into a...a boggart..., I thought he was a Deatheater too. An animagus masquerading as a dog. And when I saw Katlin talking to him, I was sure they were working together on some plot to hurt us. That they had killed our parents and now they were coming back to finish the job."

Bale stared at the boy for a second longer before turning back to Orion. "He's just as bad as Tets." He stated.

Orion simply nodded once.

"Well, for your future reference," Bale stated, turning his attention back to the boy, the Deatheaters were most likely not responsible for what happened to your parents."

"I know that."

Bale raised an eyebrow at the statement, said without the slightest hint of hesitation. "And you know this how?" he ask.

"I...I sort of saw the report you wrote on the attack." Thomas admitted cautiously. "It was in Orion's study. I found it there...on his desk...and read it."

Bale turned his glance back to his agent with a sigh. "What's the matter, Black?" He ask in a tone dripping with sarcasm. "Bedtime stories weren't entertaining enough for the children?"

"I didn't read it to him." Orion replied flatly. "He found the thing on his own."

"It's called 'supervision', Orion. The same thing I do here, but with children involved...although granted at times there's not much difference on my side of things."

"And I have five of them to 'supervise', Orin. It had only been one day, for pity sake. I did not turn into 'father of the year' overnight!"

Bale regarded the statement with a good deal of skepticism. "You're a highly trained agent of the Department of Mysteries, Black. Great magic, we thought we had picked two of the most competent people to guard the children. Now I'm not so sure."

"What!?" Both Orion and Thomas spoke up.

Orin kept his attention focused on his agent. "What did you think, Orion?" He asked. "That all placements go through as fast and easy as this one did? It takes weeks usually to place children in a new home. There are background checks on each prospective parent, home inspections, interviews with everyone right down to the little old lady that lived next door ten years ago to the stock boy who bags your groceries at the local store, and a thousand other counter checks that I assure you take a great deal more time than yours did.

But we needed to place these five fast and get them off the radar. We already suspected the attack wasn't as random as it was set up to look like and we needed to make sure the children were out of the general population. But we also needed to make sure they were placed with someone we knew and trusted to keep them safe. We were looking at Corey Matherson and her husband. They already had three kids. What's five more? However, they were showing a bit of...resistance...to the idea.

Then, out of the blue, your lovely bride suddenly hears her biological clock striking midnight and decides she can't live another day without increasing the household population by five.

Problem solved."

"Sir," Thomas spoke up quickly, prompting Bale's attention back to him and cutting off whatever remark Orion was already getting ready to make to Bale's disclosure, "if the Deatheaters weren't the ones responsible for the attack on my family, then who is? And why us? My parents never did anything to anybody. They were just two file clerks working for the Ministry. Why would anyone want to kill them?"

Bale sighed quietly as he stood up again and walked back around his desk. Sitting once more in the high backed chair, he folded his hands over the desk's polished top as he fixed a solid stare on the boy.

"Thomas," Orin said in a calm, level tone, "what I'm about to tell you I need you to understand has to absolutely stay in this room. Do you understand that?"

The teenager nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on the man behind the desk.

"Thomas," Bale continued in the same steady, level voice, "your parents were not file clerks working for the Ministry's main department. They worked for me, in the department of Mysteries. They were, in fact, two of my best agents at covert operations."

Orion frowned at the news as the teenager sitting next to him sat with his mouth hanging open. "Agents?"

Bale shifted his gaze to Orion. "They were undercover, Orion. No one was to know who they actually were or what they were really doing in the file office. Only one person knew that information. I was that one. No one else." Bale turned back to Thomas, "Not even their children."

Thomas was still gawking at the man. "My parents...my mother and my father...were spies?"

Bale gave the question a quick nod. "Two of my best, Thomas." He replied. "And you can be very proud of them and the work they did. Because of them, and the information they managed to gather, a lot of other people are alive today who otherwise most likely wouldn't be."

"What information were the Belker's gathering?" Orion ask.

Bale gave the man an annoyed stare. "You should know better than to ask something like that." He replied flatly. "I don't discuss your missions at the evening table."

"And as the newly designated caretaker, I'd like to know what I'm up against here." Orion replied. "Apparently, whatever Thomas' parents were looking for, or whatever they found, was very important to someone."

Bale studied the man for a long moment. "It was." He said finally, leaning back in his chair. "You know we've been trying to gather information on the wizard in the north." Bale stated.

Orion nodded slowly. He knew all too well about the problems of the faceless wizard in the northern area, gathering strength and followers in enough numbers to even enlist rumbling from within the closest ranks of the Deatheaters. The man was apparently someone even Voldemort was taking notice of.

"The Belker's," Bale went on, "apparently had uncovered some information that was pretty significant to the case. Thomas' father had called me earlier the day they were attacked and said he wanted to meet the next morning and show me what they had found. Whatever it was, he didn't want to even mention it over the line we used to communicate. So whatever it was, it was very important."

"But he never got to tell you." Orion finished. "Because the attack was that night."

Bale nodded solemnly.

"Maybe it was in the files." Thomas put in quickly.

Bale turned to the boy. "Files?" He asked sharply. "What files?"

Thomas pulled back slightly from the hard stare fixed on him. "My Dad use to bring files home from the office. He said they were old files and the Ministry just wanted a place to stash them, so they brought them home. Dad kept them locked in the cabinet in his den. He said we were never to so much as touch them."

Bale stared at the boy for a long moment. "And did you?" He ask.

Thomas shook his head quickly. "No. But about a week before the attack, Dad started telling me things about the files. Not about what was in them, but other things."

"Things like what?" Bale ask, trying not to sound too pressing, but wanting to know if the teenager knew anything.

"He would just say that if anything were to happen to him or Mom, I was to make sure the files were given to you. He said no one else was to have them. He told me I was to go to the Ministry and have them tell Orin Bale that Thomas Belker had something for him. He said I would get to see you that way."

Orion swore his superior was about to come right out of his chair. "And did you?" He ask.

Thomas shook his head.

"Why not!?" Bale fired off at the boy.

Thomas shrank back slightly in his chair at the man's abrupt outburst. "Because I didn't have the files anymore." Thomas replied.

Bale's expression shifted to one of concern. "Where are the files?" He ask with a forced calmness in his tone.

"Destroyed." Thomas answered flatly. "They were burned."

"You know that for a fact?"

Thomas nodded solemnly. "The last thing my Dad did before going outside to try and fight the people off that were attacking us was to take the files and throw them into the fireplace. He spoke a spell and they were ashes before he even lowered his wand. Then he ran outside. That was the last I saw him." Thomas finished quietly.

'Thank heavens for small things', Orion thought. The children had been spared at least seeing their dead parents laying in the forest.

Orin lower his gaze to his desk as he gave a quiet sigh, but slowly turned his stare again to the boy before him. "You're never to repeat what you've just told me." He told him firmly. "Not to anyone, even if they ask you directly. A lot of people's lives may depend on that. Your parents gave theirs to keep this information a secret, of that I have no doubt. If they had told the people who attacked your family that night what they wanted to know they would have killed you and your siblings off just as mercilessly. But they hadn't gotten what they came for, so they were still trying to get to it when the Black's arrived."

"Do you have any idea what the files had in them?" Orion ask.

Bale shook his head. "Thomas' father only said that it was extremely important that he speak to me first thing in the morning. He said he would bring the files with him. That they were proof of what he had to tell me. So all I can surmise was it was not only important, but hard to believe, since the man felt he needed proof to make me accept it."

Orion started to say something when Thomas suddenly spoke up again. "The wand!" He stated abruptly. "I forgot about the wand."

Bale's brows came together as he quickly shifted his attention back to the boy. "Wand? What wand?"

"Loudmen gave me a wand." Thomas quickly explained. "Because Mr. Black had taken mine and I needed to be able to contact him. He told me when we talked next I was to bring it with me."

"And when was that to be?" Bale ask.

"He didn't say. Only that it would be 'soon'."

"'Soon' to Martin Loudmen can be ten minutes or ten days." Bale replied. "Depending on his mood or what he wants. Why is he so attentive to getting this wand back? Is it his lucky one or so?"

Orion took the question for Thomas. "It's an unregistered wand, Orin." He stated simply.

Orin's eyebrows shot clear up to his hairline. "Unregistered!?" He stated in a voice that to Orion bordered on glee. "What is Martin Loudmen doing with an unregistered wand?"

"He gave it to me to contact him." Thomas answered quickly. "But he said I wasn't to show it to anyone or tell anyone I had it."

Orin turned his attention back to the teenager. "But you showed it to Orion." He stated in a flat, level tone.

Orion knew what was in the question even if the boy naively didn't see it. "The boy doesn't break promises, Orin." He replied for the teenager. "Thomas was showing me he could help fight if we needed to when the Aurors came. He didn't just pull it out and say 'Oh, look what Martin Loudmen gave me'. I thought he didn't have a wand since I had confiscated his. He was showing me he did."

"Let me see the wand." Orin said.

Orion held up his hand and the wand quickly materialized in it.

Handing it over to his superior, Orion watched as Bale looked the wand over carefully.

"This has never had an owner." Orin stated finally, lowering the wand as he looked across his desk at Orion. "Now where do you suppose Martin got something like this?"

Orion shrugged. "If someone's looking, someone's selling. That's been the rule since time began, Orin."

Orin carefully studied the wand once more, then held it up on his palm. Holding up his other hand, his expression became one of intense concentration as he kept his gaze fixed on the wand in his one hand. After a few moments past, a second wand appeared in Orin empty hand. Placing the original on his desk, he looked the new one over for a few moments, then handed it to Thomas.

"When Martin Loudmen comes looking for his wand, Thomas, I want you to give him that one."

Thomas looked the wand over carefully. "But won't he know it's not the same wand?"

Orin shook his head. "Not a chance, I promise you."

"But what are we going to do about Katlin?" Thomas ask, stuffing the duplicate wand into his coat pocket.

Orin fixed a solid stare on the boy. "The two of you aren't going to do anything." He replied, eyeing each of them in turn. "This is a matter that needs a bit more finesse in handling now. Something obviously not very well entrenched in Black's training."

Orion frowned at the man behind the desk. "Sorry." He stated flatly. "I missed 'Finesse' training day."

Bale rose from his chair. "Which is why you are the agent and I am the director." He offered with a practiced smile before turning back to Thomas. "Don't worry about Loudmen, Thomas. I'll deal with him. You just promise me that the next time he calls for you, you make sure to give him that wand, all right?"

"But what if he wants me to go as well?" Thomas ask in a hesitant voice, knowing more than anything he didn't want to face the head of the Aurors again.

Orin turned to his agent. "Well, I suppose Mr. Black will have to deal with that situation."

Orion simply gave the statement a curt nod.

"Just make sure he gets the wand first." Orin added quickly, as he got to his feet behind the desk. "And with that settled, gentlemen, I believe my next appointment is waiting for me." He added, turning briefly to Orion. "Do give your charming wife my love, won't you?"

****

Q&A

ilovesiriusblack:

****

You have to hand it to the Aurors they are good at what they do for Orion not to notice they were digging a hole in his house. Also I think I missed something somewhere haven't Justin and Vincent only seen the healthy walking around Katlin?  
Looking forward to finding out more about the mysterious Orin Bale next week.

Aurors are, in fact, very good at what they do. The only real difference between them and the Unspeakables (in the world according to PAR) is that the Unspeakables do things a little more covertly, while the Aurors just go out and get the job done.

The tunnel wasn't really that sophisticated a device for them to use. It was basically something left in place when the last one apparated out of Orion's house that kept a small whole open in the wards around his house so that Loudmen could communicate with Thomas without setting off any of Orion's alarms.

All of the children have seen Katlin as she really is and in the body she operates through.

Oh, believe me, no one has seen even the half of the enigmatic Mr. Bale. But he is a very prominent character in Family Ties, where readers will learn the truth about the head of the Unspeakables.

All reviews are as of 04/06/2008.

And remember;

Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Not mine...except for the original parts. They're mine.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: MOVING FORWARD

Much as Bale had predicted, Martin Loudmen wasted no time in trying to reclaim his errant wand. That night, after Orion and Thomas returned home, a small fire flared up in the fire place of the boys room. But this time Justin and Vincent were present, and had been clearly instructed on what to do in the situation.

As soon as the voice issued from the fire, Thomas waved the younger boys off, who took off at top speed out of the room, heading downstairs to find their surrogate father and alert him to the call.

"Are you alone, Belker?" Loudmen's voice ask as soon as the fire flared up.

Thomas answered quickly to cover any sounds as the younger two boys took off out of the room. "Yes, sir. I'm alone."

"Have you got the wand?" Loudmen ask.

Thomas sat in front of the fire and held the wand up so Loudmen's face in the fire could see it. "I have it."

"Has there been any trouble?"

Thomas shook his head. "Not so far. But things are still pretty tense since the Aurors came yesterday. Orion and Katlin keep a close eye on me and I can't go anywhere."

"Thomas!" A voice called from the hallway.

Thomas turned quickly to the voice, alerting Loudmen something was wrong.

"What is it?" He stated quickly.

"Mr. Black is coming!" Thomas replied just as quickly, looking as panic stricken as he could manage.

"Toss the wand in the fire, Belker!" Loudmen stated firmly.

Thomas didn't waste time arguing. Holding the wand up, he tossed it quickly into the flames.

The small fire flared up in a greenish glow, then went out as quickly as it had started.

Just as the fire went out, Orion stepped into the room.

"Well?" He ask.

Thomas turned to him, still seated in front of the fire. "Just the way you said it would go." The teenager replied. "All he was interested in really was getting his wand back. Although I was still worried he was going to try something like last time and grab me."

Orion shook his head. "I already told you I was an early riser, Thomas, and I already had made arrangements to make sure Loudmen didn't pull that little trick again. Bo!" He called.

The boggart instantly materialized next to his Channeler. But before he acknowledged him, he turned slightly and waved to Thomas, who favored the boggart this time with a small, albeit nervous smile.

"Hi, Bo."

The boggart happily trilled a greeting.

"Hey, over here." Orion stated, waving a hand in front of the boggart. "I need you to work now. Play later. OK?"

The boggart trilled softly as he turned back to face his Channeler.

"Are you still watching the tunnel like I ask you too?" Orion ask.

The boggart nodded quickly.

"And did anything go through the tunnel tonight?" Orion ask.

The boggart nodded again and launched into a series of short gestures delivered with rapid fire action.

Orion watched the gestures, then nodded to them. "OK. That's what we wanted to have happen." He stated. "OK, Bo. The tunnel has served its purpose. I want you to get rid of it now, all right?"

The boggart nodded quickly and disappeared.

"Where does he go off to?" Thomas ask as soon as the boggart disappeared.

"Well, he lives in the cellar." Orion explained. "But right now, for all I know or care, he's off scaring the magic out of a few Aurors before he destroys their tunnel."

"Will Loudmen know the tunnel is destroyed?"

"Probably. But hopefully he'll assume I only just discovered it. And not realize that we were leaving it open for our purposes. But after tomorrow morning it won't much matter. Orin is going to see Loudmen first thing and get him to call off his dogs. After that, hopefully, we can get a little peace and quiet."

Thomas watched as the man turned to leave. "Orion." He called out suddenly.

Orion stopped in the doorway and turned back to the boy. For the first time since Orion had met the teenager, Thomas looked like he had always thought he would. Like a confused, frighten young boy who was facing a very uncertain future. "Yes?" Orion ask.

Thomas paused as he stared up at the man before him. "What's going to happen to me now?" He asked quietly.

Orion frowned slightly at the question. "Well, if everything goes as Orin thinks tomorrow, you shouldn't hear from Loudmen again, but I would suggest..."

Thomas shook his head. "I don't mean with the Ministry." He stated. "I mean here. With you and Katlin. What's going to happen to me here?"

Orion considered the question carefully. He hadn't honestly given that part of the equation much thought. There was no doubt what the boy had done was wrong. He had seriously jeopardized Katlin's life with his actions, and it was only by appealing to Orin for help in the end that the whole mess looked like it was finally going to be brought to an end.

And just because things had come out in their favor did not exonerate the boy from what he had done.

But, Orion acknowledged, Thomas also hadn't acted out of pure spitefulness, either. He had genuinely felt that his family was in danger and dealt with things as he thought he should. All in all, had the situation been what Thomas imagined it was, and based within the circumstances he was already having to deal with, Orion honestly had to admit that the teenager had done fairly well.

"I haven't really thought about it, Thomas." Orion replied truthfully. "Katlin and I will talk about it and let you know what we decide."

To Orion, the answer sounded very reasonable and well thought out.

But to a frightened fourteen year old, he had just rendered a verdict. And to Thomas, he wasn't so sure sitting around waiting to hear it read was such a good idea.

****

Q&A

Several of you wondered what was in the files that Thomas' father was so eager to get to Orin Bale, and in the end ended up burning them to keep what was in them out of the hands of those attacking his family.

For those of you who read my Q&A's, I'll give you a little heads up over everyone else.

Think back to Family Relations. Who did the wizard in the north turn out to be?

Heudros.

And who was Heudros?

He was a class three file clerk, working for the Ministry.

What Thomas' parents uncover was, literally, the identity of the wizard in the north and they were going to report that to Orin. This was the very thing they were working for Orin uncover to find out (Orin's a little more ahead of the game than everyone thinks he is here, folks.).

However, as it is in life, sometimes answers just lead to more questions. In this case, why was Orin Bale so interested in finding out who the wizard in the north was that he was working a private undercover operation to find that information?

Just a little something for you to think about.

MasterLupin:

****

Well I think that it is interesting to know that the files have been destroyed. But if you give credence to the quote what has been made can never be unmade then thous files are recoverable. I forget who said it but I do remember hearing it somewhere. This must have been quite a surprise for Thomas, his parents weren't as boring as he thought they were. The big question now is how will Thomas give the wand back to Loudmen, without getting captured in the process(the life of a pawn is never boring is it?)?

Well, technically speaking, the files possibly still exist. It is unlikely that what Thomas' father took were the originals. More likely copies. The originals disappearing may be noticed. Not good for a covert operative (spy). The problem is, Orin has no idea exactly what files his agent took out of the records hall. So he's back at square one with what the Belker's were looking for (See above.).

As this chapter showed, Loudmen made Thomas' giving the wand back very easy. The man wanted that thing back in his hands far more than he wanted Thomas. And Orion arranged it nicely so that there was no way Loudmen could have gotten his hands on the boy anyway.

The life of a pawn is usually never fun either, dear.

ilovesiriusblack:

****

OOh intriguing, but I wonder why Thomas' father burnt the files? If he were telling Thomas about them and what to do in case of an emergency then surley he had already suspected an attack so wouldn't he have had a better plan set up?  
Orin is pretty cool, the man must have the patience of a saint not to have fired Orion years ago, I bet hes the cause of more grey hairs than Voldemort.  
Seeing as you mentioned Family Ties do you know when you will be updating it?  
Looking forward to the next chapter.

Mostly because he didn't want them falling into the hands of the people attacking them.

He was a spy, Dear. I never said he was a very good planner on top of that.

But basically, even though he may have had an inkling of a pending attack, it's sort of like us here in Florida during hurricane season. You know there's likely one coming, you're just never really sure when. And they almost always come sooner than you think.

Orin Bale is indeed a very cool character, Dear, and readers haven't seen the half of him yet. And it's not so much patience that has kept Orion employed, as skill. And Orin knows potential when he sees it.

Family Ties will be updated soon. But I have a few things I need to introduce before that story can go forward. First I have to finish this one, which has, I believe, two more chapters to go after this. Then there is at least one more story, possibly a very brief one shot, that I have to get up first to introduce a character that plays a dominant role in Family Ties. And without that story to introduce her, I'm afraid a lot of people will be very confused.

All reviews are as of 04/12/2008.

And remember;

Why is it that whenever you're trying to catch something that is falling off the table, you always manage to knock something else over?


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: This is a long one, folks.

But as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Now what even makes you think this is mine?

OK. Except for the fact that the only recognized character from the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling, who is it's sole owner and creator, is Voldemort, what else have you got?

(Waits)

OK, so the other characters are my own original creation, what else?

(Waits)

OK, so the whole story is an original concept thought up and written by me..., ummmm...Ok, you may have a case here. But for the record, I am stating that other than what is mentioned above, this is not mine...except for the stuff that is.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: MAKING CHOICES

"Orion!"

Katlin's panicked voice echoed through the house as she came all but sprinting down the stairs, nearly knocking Orion down as she met him at the bottom in the foyer.

Grabbing her by the arms to keep them both from hitting the floor, Orion steadied her back on her feet. "What is it, Katlin?" He ask, already running a mental list of the things that could be wrong from the Aurors making a return visit to Bo playing his version of 'Hide And Seek' with the children.

"Thomas!" She got out in a breathless panic. "He's not in his room. Vincent and Justin said they saw him come to bed last night and this morning he's gone. Orion, some of his cloths are missing! And his shoes are gone, too." Katlin now had two handfuls of her husband's shirt. "Where could he have gone!?" She all but shouted at him.

Orion carefully extricated himself from his wife's grip. "Katlin," he said in as calm a voice as he could manage, "he could just be outside or went for a walk this morning. They're not prisoners in the house, after all."

"But where is he!?" None of the panic had left her voice.

"Bo!" Orion called.

The boggart instantly appeared as his Channeler's side. But rather than waiting to see what Orion wanted, as he usually did, Bo turned to the panic-stricken woman in front of him and quickly began making a series of small gestures in front of her.

But Orion quickly grabbed the robe covered hand. "Bo!" He stated. "Where's Thomas?"

The boggart turned to his Channeler and seemed to study the man for a moment before gesturing with his free hand.

"What do you mean 'when'?" Orion ask. "Right now. Where is he right now?"

The boggart paused, then gestured again.

"'Not in the house' isn't an answer, Bo." Orion stated. "I asked a specific question. I'd like a specific answer. Where. Is. He?"

The boggart make a quick, short gesture which caused Orion to all but lose his tempter. "We know he's not in the house!" Orion stated. "Where is he...exactly?!" He added, trying to narrow things down for the boggart.

Bo only shrugged this time, then gestured to his Channeler.

The color immediately left Katlin's face. "What does he mean, 'He left.'." She ask, turning quickly back to her husband. "What does he mean!?" She repeated, again grabbing two handfuls of shirt.

Orion again eased her off. "Love, I'm trying to sort that out." Orion stated, turning quickly back to Bo. "Bo, did Thomas leave the house by himself?"

The boggart nodded.

"How did he leave?" Orion ask.

The boggart gestured once.

Orion frowned at the gesture. "What do you mean 'He just left.' Left how, Bo?"

The boggart repeated the gesture, but this time Orion let it pass. He didn't have time to try and sort out what the boggart was trying to get across this time.

"All right. Did anyone force him to leave?" Orion ask instead.

The question this time met with stoic silence.

Orion shook his head, thinking how to rephrase it. With Bo, sometimes...most of the time,...specifics were very important. "Bo, did anyone ask Thomas to leave the house, or make him leave the house?"

But before the boggart could formulate his answer into gestures, Katlin lost patience with the delay and shifted her grip from her husband to the front of the boggart's own robes.

With a grip that bordered on bodily injury, Katlin yanked the boggart down until he was eye level with her.

"Where is my son!!" She yelled at him.

The boggart stood stock still, staring down at the distraught woman before him, then quickly made a small gesture in what little space was between them still.

Katlin slowly let the material slip from her fingers as the boggart quickly put a good deal more distance between him and what appeared to be a momentarily irrational witch.

"Downtown London?" Katlin whispered. "What is he doing there?"

Orion was already grabbing their coats from the closet. "The train station is in downtown London, Love. Put the pieces together on the way. Bo, watch the others." He added quickly as they both disapparated out of the foyer.

A quiet sigh answered the vacant space in front of the boggart, who dutifully shifted into a large black dog and just as nonchalantly headed up the stairs.

--

Within seconds Orion and Katlin were checking the local hub of the London railway. With pictures in hand, Orion was quickly making his way through every authority figure in the terminal while Katlin was working the crowded platforms, asking if anyone had seen the teenager in the picture.

Thirty minutes later they met at the end of the platform.

"Anything?" Katlin ask desperately.

Orion solemnly shook his head. "No ones seen him." He replied, quickly seizing on Katlin's stricken look. "But that could mean a lot of things, Katlin." He swiftly added. "He may not have come here. Or maybe he came earlier and no one in this crowd saw him. We don't know."

The words did nothing to calm her anxiety. "What it means," she replied, "is that there is a scared, lonely, frightened 14 year-old boy out here somewhere." A new fear filled her eyes. "Orion, whoever attacked the Belker's are possibly still looking for their children. What if they knew we had them? What if they saw Thomas leave the house? They could have him!"

Katlin's voice was rising rapidly with her scenario, and Orion quickly took her hand to calm her down as he noted people taking more than a cursorily look in their direction.

"Katlin, we don't know that anything has happened to him. He's missing, that's all we know. Now...let's just return to the house and I'll check in at the office. I can recruit a few of the lads, and we'll start searching, all right?"

Katlin gave a small, frightened nodded as Orion led her to a small alcove space where they could apparate back to the house without being seen.

--

Miles away from the station, Thomas was still cursing his luck, all of it seemingly bad at the moment. It had been a long time since he had apparated anywhere, and he certainly hadn't ended up in Diagon Alley, where he had wanted to be, but in some dingy, dirty alleyway who-knew-where.

He had quickly left the rank smelling place and now, with a small back pack slung over his shoulder, was walking down a side street in London's Central area, trying to figure out what to do next.

Everything had seemed much clearer to him last night. Sure that the Black's were done with him, leaving first had seemed the best course of action.

But now, in the light of day, and on an empty stomach, his choice seemed to leave a great deal to be desired. At least if he had stayed at the house, he most likely would have been sent back to the agency, where he could have gotten something to eat by now.

Of course, if he had really thought this out better, he reminded himself, he would have thought to bring some food with him. As it was, he had had enough to do moving as quietly as he could around the room that morning gather his few belongings and trying not to wake the two younger boys.

Now he was lost somewhere in London without food or money.

Thomas carefully fingered the thin sheath of wood in his pocket. At least he had his wand. Not that he could use it except in the most dire circumstances, since it would lead anyone looking for him right to him. But it was a comfort just knowing he had it again.

Looking up, Thomas suddenly noticed he had wandered onto a fairly deserted, narrow back-street. The teenager stopped short as he looked around, quickly taking several steps back towards the main road when he suddenly bumped into something.

Turning around, Thomas found himself staring up into the face of a man of about forty with black hair and cold dark eyes. The man's custom cut suit fit snuggly across his broad shoulders, showing off a body that was tall and powerfully built.

When the man didn't give any indication he was going to move out of Thomas' way, the boy tried to step around him, only to find himself grabbed by the arm and forced back.

"And just where do you think you're going, laddy?" The man ask in a thick Yorkshire accent.

"No business of yours, that's for sure." Thomas shot back with as much confidence as he could manage, trying again to shoulder past the man.

But the stranger stood his ground and again forced the teenager back into the alleyway, this time with a solid shove that backed Thomas several more feet into the narrow alley.

"It just became my business." The man stated firmly.

Thomas pulled back for every step the man took towards him. "Take another step and I'll yell for help."

The man chuckled at the threat. "Go ahead." He replied, reaching into his pocket and producing a long, thick, mahogany wand. "The muggles won't hear. They haven't even seen you since you apparated into that last alleyway."

Thomas stared at the wand in dismay. A wizard! Was his luck ever going to stop its downward spiral?

Thomas quickly produced his own wand. If the man wanted a fight, he'd give him one.

But as quickly as he produced the wand, he felt an invisible force tug it out of his hand as the man spoke the spell. The wand flew obediently into the man's waiting hand.

"Well, you're just full of surprises, laddy." The man stated. "Can't wait to see what others you have in store."

Before Thomas could even think to scream for help, the man seized hold of his arm and they both disappeared.

--

As soon as Orion and Katlin arrived back at the house, Orion was already preparing to leave again, already mapping out a strategy to find the missing boy as quickly as possible.

Katlin was already headed for the kitchen where they could both hear the excited voices of the other children.

But just before he apparated out again, Katlin stopped in her tracks, giving a small cry of pain as she grabbed her lower arm.

Knowing all too well what the gesture meant, Orion grabbed her arm and pulled up the sleeve of her shirt.

Beneath the material The Dark Mark burned an angry red color.

"What does he want now?" Orion stated.

Katlin shook her head. "I don't know. But he wouldn't summon me so unless it was important, Orion." She stated. "I have to go. And maybe at the lair I can find out something. See if any of the others have seen Thomas."

Orion gave her a quick nod. "All right. But if we're both going to be gone again I want to make sure the other are OK first." He said, heading for the kitchen with Katlin following behind him.

In the kitchen the other four children sat around the table-bar that extended from one wall as Bo sat at the head of it. Orion stopped short of walking into the kitchen as, unobserved, he watched the group. Katlin quickly peeked over his shoulder.

The children had become as accustom to Bo in his more common form as they were to him in his dog form. In fact, Orion would have sworn they liked this version much better as they sat around the elongated table-bar, eagerly trying to sort out his gestures in answer to their questions.

"But why did they leave?" Lucy was asking as the four impatiently watched the boggart's hands for a response.

Bo began to slowly go through a series of gestures, stopping after each one as the four played a sort of game of Charades to try to guess what the gesture meant.

Orion was too impatient to get on his way to wait for them to figure out the gesture.

"Because your brother is missing and we're out trying to find him." He answered the oldest girl's question. "You four are to stay here with Bo and do what he says...as near as you can figure it out." He added quickly.

Katlin did a quick check that everyone's present needs were reasonably taken care of, explaining simply that she had to go with Orion and they would explain everything when they returned.

In the foyer, both apparated out of the house to the worried, anxious faces of four children, with Bo standing as a silent sentry behind them and reassurances they would find Thomas.

Once outside the house, Orion appeared again with Katlin at his side, who he gave a quick kiss to. "All right, Love. Bo will watch the children. I'll go into the office and see what my lot can arrange to try and help find him. You go see what the dark lord wants. We'll meet back here at the house."

Katlin gave him a quick nod and once again disapparated.

--

Apparating directly into Voldemort's chambers, Katlin found the dark lord speaking with a man standing before him. Both of them turned to her as soon as she appeared in the room.

"Prompt as ever, Katlin." Voldemort stated in a flat tone. "Mr. Thorman brought us a most unique prize this morning. Possibly a new member for our family."

Katlin gave the dark lord a puzzled look. "A new member?" She ask.

"A young wizard." Voldemort answered her. "Thorman found him wandering about the streets of London unsupervised. He claimed to have seen the boy apparate into a back alleyway. Now, a wizard as young as this one appears to be, who can apparate on his own, would indeed be a significant find, don't you agree?"

Katlin blinked up at the dark lord. She had, in fact, heard little that he had said past his first statement. 'A young wizard'.

"How young?" She ask in a toneless voice.

"Thorman said the boy was about thirteen."

"Or fourteen." Katlin added on a breathless whisper.

Voldemort studied her for a moment. "What possible difference does a year make?" He ask.

Katlin snapped herself back to the present situation. She met the dark lord's question with a stoic expression. "A year can make a great deal of difference and possibly make the boy's abilities not all that unusual." She replied in a tone that matched her expression. "Some wizards mature faster than others. I will need to talk to him." She stated, trying to keep the growing eagerness out of her voice as she face the dark lord. "I can find out what his level of magic is myself quickly enough."

Voldemort turned to the Deatheater before him. "Take Griss down to the prisoner." He instructed the man.

But Katlin quickly spoke up. "I would rather go alone." She stated.

Voldemort turned back to her. "Why?"

Katlin kept her whole demeanor as professional as she could. "The boy is likely to be frightened and defensive." She replied. "I have found in such situations, Lord Voldemort, that children respond much better to the presence of a female than a male. Thorman is likely only going to put him even more on the defensive if he goes with me. The boy will see him with me and make the association. I would rather try to establish an independent relationship with the child. He will be more receptive to me if he views me as a friend."

The dark lord considered the request, then finally nodded. "You are to come back here when you are done talking to him and tell me what you've learned."

Katlin executed a small bow. "As you will, Lord Voldemort."

Quickly leaving the chamber, Katlin headed as quickly as she could to the lower chambers where prisoners were kept, trying not to look like a woman running to check on her child's welfare. Every step, she prayed over and over, was taking her one step closer to Thomas.

But what if the boy wasn't Thomas? Then what? Then the idiot Thorman had managed to bring another person into Katlin's already crowded and complicated life. Freeing Thomas would be difficult enough. Freeing a stranger would be nearly impossible.

Reaching the cell area where prisoners were kept, Katlin quickly set up a spell to shield her from anyone who might be trying to spy on the 'interrogation'. Something she had explained to Voldemort ages ago was a distraction to her. This put up a safe excuse for her shield that no one dared question.

All but racing down the corridor, Katlin came to the cell at the far end, only to have her worst fear confirmed.

"Thomas!"

All but throwing herself at the bars, Katlin's panic rose to new heights as she grabbed the steel poles, staring at the boy in the cell. "Great heavens! Child, what are you doing here!"

Half expecting the boy to run to her in relief, Katlin was taken aback when Thomas quickly shifted from his position midway on the bench in his cell to the far end of it, looking out at her past two wide, frightened eyes.

"Thomas!" Katlin called again, stretching an arm between the bars as she frantically reached for him.

But quickly realizing how futile her act was, Katlin pulled back and quickly spoke the spell to unlock the door.

Pulling it open she launched herself into the cell and all but landed on top of the boy, grabbing him in her arms as she pulled him to her in a hold so tight there wasn't a person in the lair who could have gotten the boy away from her.

Utterly stunned at the greeting, Thomas simply left Katlin to go through her panicked rush of words as she kept a tight, protective grip on his body. But finally he pulled back slightly and stared up at her, none of the fear having left his eyes.

"Katlin, what are you doing here?" He asked is a hushed tone, looking nervously about.

"What am I doing here!?" She almost laughed at the question. "Thomas, I'm here to get you out of this place! Magic, child! How did you end up in such a situation!?"

Thomas was still staring at her with wide eyes. "But...but you're a Deatheater! Why would you help me escape?"

Katlin shook her head. "What I am right now, Thomas, is someone who is very worried and frightened for you. I have to get you out of here and we have to move quickly!"

Thomas glanced nervously at the front of the cell again, trying to look around Katlin.

But Katlin quickly waved off his fear of others appearing on the scene. "No one else is coming." She explained. "I said I wanted to speak to you alone, and others would upset my plans. Now, I've bought us both some valuable time, but it isn't unlimited. And if anyone sees us outside of this area, they aren't going to let us just walk out of this place. So we have to go and we have to go right now."

"But...why would anyone try to stop you? You're one of them. Just tell them...you're taking me for questioning...or to a different cell."

"Thomas, you don't understand. Things are not as black and white as you think they are here. And if we are caught, we will both be in a great deal of trouble. Just believe me, that it's all very complicated, and unfortunately, I don't have the time to explain things to you at the moment. We have to go, we have to go right now, and we have to go very quietly."

"But no one would try to stop you. You're an Elite. Even Orion said you're a very high ranking one."

"And Orion doesn't know everything, all right?" Katlin replied in an exasperated sigh. "Now, please, Thomas, just do as I say."

Thomas stared up at her as the conversation seemed to solidify an idea in his mind. "You're not a Deatheater anymore, are you?" He stated. "You're a spy. That's why you're with Orion...why you two are married. And that's why Orin Bale was willing to help protect you. You're a spy."

Katlin turned sharply back to the boy, her glare freezing him in his place. "I am no spy!" She stated forcefully. "And you ever say such a thing to me again and I will take you to the dark lord myself!"

Thomas slowly shook his head. "Then you're right. I don't understand." He said quietly, still staring up at her.

"And you don't have too. All you have to do is do what I tell you, when I tell you to do it." Katlin answered, turning back to him after she checked the corridor once more. "If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell you to stop, you stop. If we come across anyone, you stay absolutely silent. Is that understood?"

Thomas simply nodded.

Katlin stepped out into the corridor, taking Thomas' hand as she led him out of the cell. "Then let's go."

****

Q&A

MasterLupin:

****

Oh Thomas is going to run! though I don't know how far he will get Bo will probably follow him from the start. I think that Thomas thinks that because of his actions Katlin and Orion will decide not to adopt him/ they may decide that they don't want any of the kids, and in order to protect his siblings and prevent such a verdict he will remove himself from the equation. According to his logic, if he isn't there then Katlin and Orion will only be left with four children that they get along with and the black sheep will not be able to ruin the rest of the herd. He may also be running out of fear of rejection from Katlin and Orion and his own siblings if he were the cause of them being thrown out of house that they like.

Actually, this is another of those 'gotta be specific' moments with our favorite boggart. Bo has been told over and over he is not to leave the house unless someone is with him. So if he is told to watch the children, and one of them leaves the house, it comes down to this for him:

'I watched the child. I watched the child leave the house. Mission accomplished.'

WOW! You put some serious thought in to that, Lup! And I would like to say, 'Yes! Absolutely!', because your line of reasoning is very good and I would like people to think I came up with all that.

But sadly (for me), no. Or at least, not entirely. Nowhere in Thomas' reasons for leaving was the 'if I'm gone, the others actually stand a chance of being adopted' thoughts. Instead, he is leaving more because of the chance of rejection thing than anything else. 'I'll leave you before you leave me'. And he isn't really thinking very much about rejection by his siblings. Mostly he's scared and confused and more than anything, running blind.

Nice ideas though. If I ever get this to script, can I use your ideas. (Credit given, of course!)

ilovesiriusblack:

****

By the sounds of it Thomas is about to do something really stupid, the boy just seems to have an unnatural ability for it. Whilst I can appreciate that hes worried does he honestly believe that his brothers and sisters would abandon him for a couple that they just met?  
A new femaile character in family ties? I am definately looking forward to it now, you have yet to invent a character that I haven't liked.  
Looking forward to the next chapter.

Are you kidding!? The boy has the 'Stupid Moves' market darn near cornered at this point!

Actually, if you read MasterLupin's answer, Thomas isn't thinking much about his siblings at all right at the moment. Although, in a way, he is trying to protect his siblings. But this time it's from himself. From his influence in a situation he can't accept or figure out his place in. So, confused beyond reason, he is running away from it.

And Thomas isn't worried about his siblings abandoning him. He's worried about what Katlin and Orion are going to do. Worse case scenario, send him away.

Well, Dear that is high praise indeed. You have liked all of my OC's! I'm honored.

And yes, there is a new female character in Family Ties, but her part is not that large at first. In fact, she's more of a supporting character to Orin than anything else. But you also have a new male character (a new antagonist) coming into the story who is much more of the story's driving force. (Actually two new male characters. One of them I would wager could well give even Hershel a run for his money in the enigmatic category.)

All reviews are as of 04/19/2008.

And remember;

If the US government wants to give all of it's citizens a tax rebate to stimulate the economy, why not cut out the middle man and just write a check to Wal-Mart and be done with it?


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: As much as I hate re-posts, sometimes it is unavoidable.

Here is one such situation.

What was changed was minor to the chapter but will make a tremendous amount of difference to the story overall. The change also mentions a few characters who 1) were either lightly touched before, or 2) before now, not mentioned at all.

Want to save time? The changes start on the fifth page. Everything before that is exactly the same.

Disclaimer: OriginalMine. Not originalNot mine.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY: SORTING THINGS OUT

(RE-POST)

Bale sat through Orion's story without so much as a raised eyebrow.

For his part, Orion had divided his attention between his superior and the boy sitting next to him, staring at the man as though he couldn't quite believe he existed.

Finally, having felt he had covered everything, Orion fell silent and waited to see what Bale would have to say on the matter.

"Is that it?" The leader of the Unspeakables ask.

Orion nodded.

Bale got up from his chair and walked around to the front of his large oak desk, sitting himself on the edge as he stared down at the agent before him.

For all the world Orion thought he must look like a boy who got caught doing something wrong.

Bale obviously felt the same way.

"Tell me something." His superior began. "If you had honestly tried, planned this out from beginning to end, known everything that was going to happen," Bale ask, fanning his arms out to either side, "do you think you could have honestly screwed this up any better with just a little more effort?"

Orion gave the man a false smile. "Really. Don't hold back, Orin. How do you feel about this?"

Bale frowned down at the man before him. "You have put the life of one of my top informants in danger. Your own wife, no less! What should I be doing, Orion? Handing you a gold star and giving you a pay rise?"

"It wasn't all his fault." Thomas spoke up tentatively.

Bale turned his eyes to the teenager. "He is the adult here." The man stated in a cold voice. "He should have stopped this long before it got this far." The man turned back to Orion. "You should have come to me long before now and told me what was going on. You should have reported all this the moment Loudmen was involved."

"And I should have had five seconds to do all of that." Orion defended, "But I didn't. So I did the best I could, Orin."

"You should never have tried to go up against Loudmen, You may be good, Orion, but you are still no match for that man."

"I tried to let you know what was going on." Orion stated again in his defense. "But Loudmen moved too fast. I felt my priority in this was getting a plan together that would protect Katlin and the children. Not making 'reports' to my superior."

"Well, you have one thing right in all of this." Bale stated. "Loudmen smells blood, and he's not going to back off on this."

"But it's not his fault." Thomas quickly interjected again. "I was the one who went to Loudmen in the first place. I'm the one who told him Katlin was a Deatheater."

Bale turned his stare on the boy, but didn't say anything.

"I thought the Deatheaters were responsible for my parents murders." Thomas answered the unspoken question. "And when I saw the boggart transform from a dog into a...a boggart..., I thought he was a Deatheater too. An animagus masquerading as a dog. And when I saw Katlin talking to him, I was sure they were working together on some plot to hurt us. That they had killed our parents and now they were coming back to finish the job."

Bale stared at the boy for a second longer before turning back to Orion. "He's just as bad as Tets." He stated.

Orion simply nodded once.

"Well, for your future reference," Bale stated, turning his attention back to the boy, the Deatheaters were most likely not responsible for what happened to your parents."

"I know that."

Bale raised an eyebrow at the statement, said without the slightest hint of hesitation. "And you know this how?" he ask.

"I...I sort of saw the report you wrote on the attack." Thomas admitted cautiously. "It was in Orion's study. I found it there...on his desk...and read it."

Bale turned his glance back to his agent with a sigh. "What's the matter, Black?" He ask in a tone dripping with sarcasm. "Bedtime stories weren't entertaining enough for the children?"

"I didn't read it to him." Orion replied flatly. "He found the thing on his own."

"It's called 'supervision', Orion. The same thing I do here, but with children involved...although granted at times there's not much difference on my side of things."

"And I have five of them to 'supervise', Orin. It had only been one day, for pity sake. I did not turn into 'father of the year' overnight!"

Bale regarded the statement with a good deal of skepticism. "You're a highly trained agent of the Department of Mysteries, Black. Great magic, we thought we had picked two of the most competent people to guard the children. Now I'm not so sure."

"What!?" Both Orion and Thomas spoke up.

Orin kept his attention focused on his agent. "What did you think, Orion?" He asked. "That all placements go through as fast and easy as this one did? It takes weeks usually to place children in a new home. There are background checks on each prospective parent, home inspections, interviews with everyone right down to the little old lady that lived next door ten years ago to the stock boy who bags your groceries at the local store, and a thousand other counter checks that I assure you take a great deal more time than yours did.

But we needed to place these five fast and get them off the radar. We already suspected the attack wasn't as random as it was set up to look like and we needed to make sure the children were out of the general population. But we also needed to make sure they were placed with someone we knew and trusted to keep them safe. We were looking at Corey Matherson and her husband. They already had three kids. What's five more? However, they were showing a bit of...resistance...to the idea.

Then, out of the blue, your lovely bride suddenly hears her biological clock striking midnight and decides she can't live another day without increasing the household population by five.

Problem solved."

"Sir," Thomas spoke up quickly, prompting Bale's attention back to him and cutting off whatever remark Orion was already getting ready to make to Bale's disclosure, "if the Deatheaters weren't the ones responsible for the attack on my family, then who is? And why us? My parents never did anything to anybody. They were just two file clerks working for the Ministry. Why would anyone want to kill them?"

Bale sighed quietly as he stood up again and walked back around his desk. Sitting once more in the high backed chair, he folded his hands over the desk's polished top as he fixed a solid stare on the boy.

"Thomas," Orin said in a calm, level tone, "what I'm about to tell you I need you to understand has to absolutely stay in this room. Do you understand that?"

The teenager nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on the man behind the desk.

"Thomas," Bale continued in the same steady, level voice, "your parents were not file clerks working for the Ministry's main department. They worked for me, in the department of Mysteries. They were, in fact, two of my best agents at covert operations."

Orion frowned at the news as the teenager sitting next to him sat with his mouth hanging open. "Agents?"

Bale shifted his gaze to Orion. "They were undercover, Orion. No one was to know who they actually were or what they were really doing in the file office. Only one person knew that information. I was that one. No one else." Bale turned back to Thomas, "Not even their children."

Thomas was still gawking at the man. "My parents...my mother and my father...were spies?"

Bale gave the question a quick nod. "Two of my best, Thomas." He replied. "And you can be very proud of them and the work they did. Because of them, and the information they managed to gather, a lot of other people are alive today who otherwise most likely wouldn't be."

"What information were the Belker's gathering?" Orion ask.

Bale gave the man an annoyed stare. "You should know better than to ask something like that." He replied flatly. "I don't discuss your missions at the evening table."

"And as the newly designated caretaker, I'd like to know what I'm up against here." Orion replied. "Apparently, whatever Thomas' parents were looking for, or whatever they found, was very important to someone."

Bale studied the man for a long moment. "It was." He said finally, leaning back in his chair. "You know we've been trying to gather information on the wizard in the north." Bale stated.

Orion nodded slowly. He knew all too well about the problems of the faceless wizard in the northern area, gathering strength and followers in enough numbers to even enlist rumbling from within the closest ranks of the Deatheaters. The man was apparently someone even Voldemort was taking notice of.

"The Belker's," Bale went on, "apparently had uncovered some information that was pretty significant to the case. Thomas' father had called me earlier the day they were attacked and said he wanted to meet the next morning and show me what they had found. Whatever it was, he didn't want to even mention it over the line we used to communicate. So whatever it was, it was very important."

"But he never got to tell you." Orion finished. "Because the attack was that night."

Bale nodded solemnly.

"Maybe it was in the files." Thomas put in quickly.

Bale turned to the boy. "Files?" He asked sharply. "What files?"

Thomas pulled back slightly from the hard stare fixed on him. "My Dad use to bring files home from the office. He said they were old files and the Ministry just wanted a place to stash them, so they brought them home. Dad kept them locked in the cabinet in his den. He said we were never to so much as touch them."

Bale stared at the boy for a long moment. "And did you?" He ask.

Thomas shook his head quickly. "No. But about a week before the attack, Dad started telling me things about the files. Not about what was in them, but other things."

"Things like what?" Bale ask, trying not to sound too pressing, but wanting to know if the teenager knew anything.

"He would just say that if anything were to happen to him or Mom, I was to make sure the files were given to you. He said no one else was to have them. He told me I was to go to the Ministry and have them tell Orin Bale that Thomas Belker had something for him. He said I would get to see you that way."

Orion swore his superior was about to come right out of his chair. "And did you?" He ask.

Thomas shook his head.

"Why not!?" Bale fired off at the boy.

Thomas shrank back slightly in his chair at the man's abrupt outburst. "Because I didn't have the files anymore." Thomas replied.

Bale's expression shifted to one of concern. "Where are the files?" He ask with a forced calmness in his tone.

"Destroyed." Thomas answered flatly. "They were burned."

"You know that for a fact?"

Thomas nodded solemnly. "The last thing my Dad did before going outside to try and fight the people off that were attacking us was to take the files and throw them into the fireplace. He spoke a spell and they were ashes before he even lowered his wand. Then he ran outside. That was the last I saw him." Thomas finished quietly.

'Thank heavens for small things', Orion thought. The children had been spared at least seeing their dead parents laying in the forest.

Orin lower his gaze to his desk as he gave a quiet sigh, but slowly turned his stare again to the boy before him. "You're never to repeat what you've just told me." He told him firmly. "Not to anyone, even if they ask you directly. A lot of people's lives may depend on that. Your parents gave theirs to keep this information a secret, of that I have no doubt. If they had told the people who attacked your family that night what they wanted to know they would have killed you and your siblings off just as mercilessly. But they hadn't gotten what they came for, so they were still trying to get to it when the Black's arrived."

"Do you have any idea what the files had in them?" Orion ask.

Bale shook his head. "Thomas' father only said that it was extremely important that he speak to me first thing in the morning. He said he would bring the files with him. That they were proof of what he had to tell me. So all I can surmise was it was not only important, but hard to believe, since the man felt he needed proof to make me accept it."

Orion started to say something when Thomas suddenly spoke up again. "The wand!" He stated abruptly. "I forgot about the wand."

Bale's brows came together as he quickly shifted his attention back to the boy. "Wand? What wand?"

"Loudmen gave me a wand." Thomas quickly explained. "Because Mr. Black had taken mine and I needed to be able to contact him. He told me when we talked next I was to bring it with me."

"And when was that to be?" Bale ask.

"He didn't say. Only that it would be 'soon'."

"'Soon' to Martin Loudmen can be ten minutes or ten days." Bale replied. "Depending on his mood or what he wants. Why is he so attentive to getting this wand back? Is it his lucky one or so?"

Orion took the question for Thomas. "It's an unregistered wand, Orin." He stated simply.

Orin's eyebrows shot clear up to his hairline. "Unregistered!?" He stated in a voice that to Orion bordered on glee. "What is Martin Loudmen doing with an unregistered wand?"

"He gave it to me to contact him." Thomas answered quickly. "But he said I wasn't to show it to anyone or tell anyone I had it."

Orin turned his attention back to the teenager. "But you showed it to Orion." He stated in a flat, level tone.

Orion knew what was in the question even if the boy naively didn't see it. "The boy doesn't break promises, Orin." He replied for the teenager. "Thomas was showing me he could help fight if we needed to when the Aurors came. He didn't just pull it out and say 'Oh, look what Martin Loudmen gave me'. I thought he didn't have a wand since I had confiscated his. He was showing me he did."

"Let me see the wand." Orin said.

Orion held up his hand and the wand quickly materialized in it.

Handing it over to his superior, Orion watched as Bale looked the wand over carefully.

"This has never had an owner." Orin stated finally, lowering the wand as he looked across his desk at Orion. "Now where do you suppose Martin got something like this?"

Orion shrugged. "If someone's looking, someone's selling. That's been the rule since time began, Orin."

Bale nodded just as a small fire flared to life on his desk.

"Mr. Bale," his secretary's voice called, "I have that letter ready to go out but it needs your signature."

Orin gave the two a brief apologetic smile across his desk. "If you'll excuse me for just a moment." He said. "Won't take a second."

Apparating out of his office, Bale just as quickly appeared next to his secretary's desk, who looked up without surprise.

"What was that all about?" She ask. "There are no letters you need to sign."

But Orin was already looking over the wand he still held in his hand. "I just needed a reason to leave the office for a moment, Connie." He replied.

"For what?" She pressed.

Bale gave her a small smile. "Connie, questions like that are just going to get you more unanswered questions."

The woman huffed as she went back to her typing. "Everything with you is an unanswered question, Orin." She stated. "One just gets used to it."

Orin smile slightly at the comment as he studied the wand once more.

Holding up his other hand, his expression became one of intense concentration as he kept his gaze fixed on the wand in his one hand. After a few moments past, a second wand appeared in Orin empty hand.

Placing the original in his pocket, Bale looked the new wand over for a moment, then gave a small smile of satisfaction. The duplicate was perfect down to the last detail and would pass even the closest scrutiny. Just right for what he needed it to do.

"One more thing, Connie."

The woman looked up from under her long, dark lashes.

"Thomas said his father burned the files he wanted to show me in the fireplace of the house the day of the attack. Call Eric and have him check that out, please."

The woman gave him a small smile. "Well, as it turns out, I was meeting Eric for lunch this afternoon. I'll deliver your message then."

Orin frowned at the news. "You're having lunch with Eric? Since when?"

The secretary smiled. "It's just a friendly lunch, Orin. I haven't seen Eric in months, after all. Don't be so suspicious."

Bale returned a stoic expression. "Of you having lunch with a Deatheater? That's your business, Connie."

The woman gave an exasperated sigh. "Between the two of you, don't I wish."

Making sure the original was safely concealed in his jacket pocket, Bale apparated back into his office behind his desk. Without much ceremony he handed to duplicate wand back to the teenager.

"All right, Thomas." Bale stated as the boy took the wand. You can return that to Martin when he asks for it.

Orion stared questioningly at his superior. "You want to give something like that back to Loudmen?" He ask. "Orin, unregistered wands are..."

But Bale quickly cut his agent off. "It's not important right now, Orion. I'll deal with the matter later. Right now the important thing is that Loudmen gets his wand back. And don't even think about trying to pull a switch on him." Orin firmly told him. "Loudmen will note the imposter right away and realize we're on to him. I don't want that."

Orion nodded, still thinking it a bit odd Bale would part with the wand so easily. But he also knew better than to argue with the man.

"But what are we going to do about Katlin?" Thomas ask, stuffing the wand into his coat pocket.

Orin fixed a solid stare on the boy. "The two of you aren't going to do anything." He replied, eyeing each of them in turn. "This is a matter that needs a bit more finesse in handling now. Something obviously not very well entrenched in Black's training."

Orion frowned at the man behind the desk. "Sorry." He stated flatly. "I missed 'Finesse' training day."

Bale rose from his chair. "Which is why you are the agent and I am the director." He offered with a practiced smile before turning back to Thomas. "Don't worry about Loudmen, Thomas. I'll deal with him. You just promise me that the next time he calls for you, you make sure to give him that wand, all right?"

"But what if he wants me to go as well?" Thomas ask in a hesitant voice, knowing more than anything he didn't want to face the head of the Aurors again.

Orin turned to his agent. "Well, I suppose Mr. Black will have to deal with that situation."

Orion simply gave the statement a curt nod.

"Just make sure he gets the wand first." Orin added quickly, as he got to his feet behind the desk. "And with that settled, gentlemen, I believe my next appointment is waiting for me." He added, turning briefly to Orion. "Do give your charming wife my love, won't you?"


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Right! I have nothing better to do all day than to sit around and think up ways to get myself thrown in jail for 10-20 for plagiarizing someone else's work.

Trust me, actually, I do. So this isn't mine, except the parts that are.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: ESCAPING THE LAIR

Katlin led Thomas along one passage after another, never saying so much as a word to the boy as they moved along. But her grip on his hand never loosened either. Through every turn, Katlin kept a firm grip on the teenager's hand to the point sometimes it was almost painful. But she had come this far, and she wasn't going to risk anything taking him away from her again.

After what seemed like hours to him, Thomas gave a pull on her grip.

Katlin turned back to him.

"What is it?" She ask in a low hiss.

"I'm tired." He whispered back. "Can't we stop for a moment?"

"No." Came the single worded answer.

Thomas gave a sigh and continued on. He had already walked through what felt like half of London, and now this. His feet were sore and his stomach growled angrily at having missed breakfast and now likely lunch as well.

Just as he was about to ask if they had much farther to go, Katlin came to an abrupt halt.

They had just come to an intersection in the corridor they were in that widened considerably. Thomas looked around Katlin to see what had caused her to stop so suddenly and felt his heart sink all the way to the bottom of his aching feet.

Standing in the corridor were no less than ten Deatheaters. And the man that stood at the forefront was the meanest looking of them all.

Katlin hadn't said a word, and true to what she had told him, Thomas remained silent as well.

"Are you going somewhere, Katlin?" The man finally ask, shifting his gaze ever so slightly to Thomas. "With Voldemort's newest prize catch?"

"You will stand aside, Johnathan." Katlin stated firmly, shifting her gaze as well to the others behind him. "All of you! And you will not interfere, or you will answer to the dark lord."

Now this was more like it, Thomas thought. More of what he expected of Katlin. She was a head Elite. Someone of importance and authority. Why had she been so worried they couldn't make good their escape with something as simple as a direct order from her lips?

The man sneered at her even as the others seemed to be mulling over their choices.

"You are taking a prisoner out of the lair without permission, Katlin. That is a serious offense."

Suddenly Thomas felt he was beginning to understand what Katlin had meant by 'things not being as black and white' as he thought. This man obviously also had power and authority. That which rivaled even her's.

Katlin clenched her teeth. "You have no idea what is going on here, Johnathan, and thereby, you have no right to question me. And I, no need to answer you. But to satisfy your over-active interest in my affairs, which I will again discuss with Lord Voldemort, I will give you one. This prisoner is being transported to another location...by me."

"Then you will need assistance." The man replied with a small smile. "We will escort you and your...'prisoner'."

"I believe I am perfectly capable of handling a fourteen year old boy, Johnathan." She replied sweetly. "Please do stop making the mistake of comparing my level of skill to your own."

The barb got a low chuckle out of several standing behind Treaks. But the man glared the laughter down into silence as he turned to them, then just as quickly turned back to Katlin.

"If you are transporting the prisoner to a new location, why are you here? Why not apparate from the front of the lair as we all do?"

Katlin gave him an exasperated look. "I have already stated once I do not need to explain myself to you, Johnathan. Now stand aside, and I may yet decide not to mention your interference to the dark lord."

Not only did Treaks not step aside, Thomas noticed, but he positioned himself even more directly to block their escape as he stepped closer to Katlin, who didn't budge so much as an inch at the implied intrusion.

But the one thing she did do, that he took immediate notice of, was release his hand.

"You will answer my question, Katlin." He stated in a low, dangerous tone.

Two clear Violet eyes raised slowly to meet his. "The only thing I will tell you, Johnathan," she stated slowly, "is to get stuffed."

Katlin was already going for her wand, but Treaks had anticipated the move too perfectly and with a solid shove, sent her reeling backwards.

Off balanced, Katlin slammed into the wall behind her. But she regained her footing quickly enough and had her wand out in time to deflect two spells aimed at her and one she hoped was simply off target and headed for Thomas.

"Get out!" She yelled at the boy, turning back to face her attackers.

Thomas took off back down the corridor they had come from. Katlin had told him to do what she said, when she said it.

But she hadn't said for how long.

Stopping only a few yards down the corridor, enough to keep the fighters in his line of sight, Thomas wished with everything in him that he had his wand with him. But the Deatheater who captured him had turned the wand over to the dark lord. And Thomas had no idea where it was now.

Watching the battle, Thomas couldn't help but be amazed at Katlin's level of skill against the others. Ten against one, and she was still holding them off.

But she was losing ground. That much he could tell as he watched the fight progress. Katlin had taken several hits from spells, but had also managed to protect herself from the full affect of them. But with each new spell, her defenses were weakening as her attackers began to wear her down. The most persistent being the man in the front. To Thomas the fight seemed a personal one to him. Every attack based in pure hatred and anger against his opponent.

Thinking hard of what he could do to help, Thomas decided the only way he could help was if he had his wand back. He had managed to apparate away from the estate grounds that morning, but it had taken a lot of concentration and effort to do so. But maybe applying the same determination, he could call his wand to him.

Closing his eyes, the teenager held his hand up in front of him and concentrated on the sleek piece of wood. Again and again he called to it, forcing it to come to him.

Opening his eyes, Thomas dismally stared at his still empty hand.

A scream from the corridor caused him to look up. Katlin had taken a hit to the side and was down.

What worried him most was that she wasn't getting up again.

The tall, nasty looking Deatheater was slowly approaching her, reminding Thomas of a wolf stalking its prey. Sensing it was helpless, but not quiet sure.

Thomas watched the man raise his wand one more time. Turning quickly back to his open palm, Thomas put everything he had into a call of utter desperation to his wand. He needed it, and he needed it now!

Treaks raised his wand and began the words of the killing curse, nearly finishing them when a streak of light cut out from the side corridor and caught his hand, causing him to loose his grip on his wand as it clattered to the floor. But before he could even reach for it, the wand spun about and sped over the stone floor towards the corridor the boy had run down.

Only the teenager wasn't running anymore.

Standing at the corridor opening, Treaks wand held triumphantly in his hand, Thomas pointed his own wand at the group.

"The next one who touches her, I'll kill." He stated plainly.

One of the group took a step forward. But a streak of pure white light cut across his path, erupting into a ball of fire and sparks against the stone wall and leaving a small crater in its wake.

"That's your head if you move again." Thomas warned him, lowering his wand just slightly. "Or something even more interesting."

The Deatheater quickly stepped back.

Treaks was nearly beside himself with outrage. "This is a child!" He shouted at the others. "Are you Deatheaters, or weaklings who can not even deal with a boy?"

Thomas' wand turned until it was now pointed directly at the groups apparent leader. "I don't see you being so brave." He stated.

Treaks bellowed his outrage at the statement and launched himself at the boy.

A single, thin streak of light from the teenager's wand stopped the man in mid-flight and sent him flying backwards into the stone wall.

Thomas didn't waste any time in seeing the after effects of his attack. Pointing his wand at the ceiling, he sent another streak of light toward a crack in the stone. Instantly the shockwave from the spell went through the ceiling, weakening the already dangerously unstable area and sending it crashing to the ground in a hail of dust and debris.

As the dust settled, Thomas looked over his handiwork, knowing the barrier wouldn't hold the others off forever.

He had to get Katlin out of there, and fast.

Unfortunately, he had also just cut them off from their escape route.

Thomas quickly knelt down next to Katlin, who, though conscious, didn't seem totally aware of what was going on.

"Katlin, what do we do?" He asked, trying to fight the panic out of his voice. "How do we get out?"

Katlin shook her head slightly, then utter a word too soft for him to hear.

Thomas leaned closer to her. "Katlin," he ask again, "What do we do? Which way do we go?"

Katlin shook her head again and repeated the word, putting enough force into it this time that Thomas could make the word out.

Or more, the name.

Bo.

That was the single word she had said. The name of Orion's boggart.

Thomas looked around, half expecting to see the tower of dark robes standing somewhere nearby. But they were alone in the corridor.

"Katlin, Bo's not here." Thomas replied. "And that collapsed rock isn't going to hold the Deatheaters off forever. We have to get out of here. Which way do we go?"

Katlin turned an unfocused stare to the teenager, and for a moment Thomas thought she was going to say something. But instead she suddenly collapsed in his arms, completely unconscious.

Thomas fought off the urge to go into an utter panic. If he did, they were lost. And Katlin needed him to protect her.

She had said the boggart's name, so it must have been important, Thomas reasoned out quickly. Maybe she had meant to call him. Maybe he could help them. Scare off the Deatheaters or something.

Thomas looked around the dimly lit corridor. "Bo!" He called, feeling mildly foolish despite their desperate circumstances.

Nothing happened.

"Bo!" Thomas called louder. "Come on. We need help. Katlin needs help. Where are you? Bo!"

A sudden noise rumbled through the corridor. Thomas looked up and saw a cloud of dust rising out of the side of the small mountain of debris, followed by a streak of light from someone's wand.

They were breaking through! In a matter of minutes they would have the hole large enough to get through, and he couldn't stop them again.

"Bo!" Thomas cried out as another streak of light shot through the small opening, rising a cloud of dust with it.

Looking up, Thomas suddenly found himself looking up at mountain of dark robes that ended in a hooded opening of pure darkness. A soft trill came from under the hood as the boggart seemed to survey the situation.

But Thomas pointed quickly to the wall of debris. "Bo, they're trying to break through. We have to stop them!" He stated, his tone verging on panic as he still held Katlin in his arms, his wand tightly clenched in his hand.

The boggart turned to face the wall, staring at it as if mildly amazed at seeing it there.

The tower of dark robes slowly glided over to the barrier and looked it over again, then reached out a hand and ran it over the stones.

To Thomas it seemed as if the boggart was looking for something, or trying to assess the sturdiness of the barrier. Pausing, he stood back up and turned to Thomas, a soft trill unlike any Thomas had heard before coming from under the hood. This wasn't the usual sound he was used to hearing the boggart make. This was more structured. A short series of trills and clicks.

A quick thought struck Thomas. Was the boggart trying to talk to him? Was this the actual sound Bo made when he talked?

Whatever the sounds meant, or were meant to convey, they were cut off as a streak of light blasted through the barrier and caught the boggart square in the back.

Thomas was sure he was now the sole relying savoir of not one, but two casualties of the fight.

But to his surprise the boggart didn't respond to the blast in any other way than a slight stagger forward from the force of the blow. Past that, for a moment he remained standing there, staring down at Thomas and Katlin. Then a low growl came from under the hood as the tower of dark robes slowly turned to face the opening being blasted through the rock. A hand had reached through the hole and was pulling at loose debris, trying to make the opening larger.

Thomas never saw the boggart make as much as the slightest movement when suddenly the hole in the wall sealed itself over again, this time with what looked like a solid, smooth chunk of stone.

With one exception.

The hand that had been reaching through it was still there, now totally encircled in the rock, and now waving about frantically as the person on the other side tried to free themselves.

A sharp blast could be heard through the wall of debris, followed by a great deal of shouting and cursing as the man apparently warned the others off of trying to free him using that particular method.

Thomas couldn't help but smile at the situation. That, at least, should slow them down considerably. But he quickly turned again to the woman in his arms as Katlin gave a soft moan.

Looking up, Thomas saw that Bo was already standing back before them, staring down at them again from his hooded face.

"Katlin's been hurt real bad, Bo." He tried to explain, unsure if the boggart understood him or not. "I have to get her home. Do you know the way out of here?"

The boggart made a sound that to Thomas could have vaguely past for a short bark of laughter. The boggart then extended his hand to the boy.

Thinking Bo was offering him help getting up, Thomas paused for a moment as he considered his options, then cautiously took hold of the pre-offered hand.

In the next instant, all three disappeared.

****

Q&A

ilovesiriusblack:

****

I'd love to hear Katlin's explanation for this because right now I'm with Thomas, I don't understand her motives at all. I think it's because she seems to support both sides whilst claiming not to believe fully in either.  
I expect that if Voldemort catches them then he will assume Katlin is just taking him to brain wash him into becoming a mini death eater. Voldemort must be really desperate if he wants to recruit kids who can't even apparate properly.  
Sounds like a lot of new characters for Family Ties I hope you've left room for some old favourites?  
Looking forward to the next chapter.

Funny you should say that, because the next chapter actually has in it what you are looking for. And actually, Katlin's motives aren't all that hard to understand. She has exactly one goal in mind, and she works towards it quite diligently.

Well, the young are the best recruits as far as Voldemort is concerned. Look at Katlin and how she turned out. Thomas isn't much younger than she was when she was taken in to the Deatheaters.

Of course, Dear. In fact, Family Ties is a character reunion, with almost all of the old characters returning.

Silverfox:

****

Interesting how it never occurred to Loudmen that Thomas might not have seen the wife, because the children weren't allowed into her room and the woman he saw is a housekeeper or nanny - or some relative come to help care for the children ...  
Yes, I know I'm way behind. Working on catching up.

Actually, that was considered by the authoress.

However, Katlin specifically told Thomas she was a Deatheater. And an Elite, no less. And Thomas, being the good little informant he is, repeated that to Loudmen. So there was never any question that the woman he saw in the hallway that night talking to Bo was indeed Katlin, and that she was indeed a Deatheater. And even if the connection between the two could somehow be disproved, Thomas had told Loudemn there was a Deatheater in the house, and that she had told him she was the leader of the Elite.

That position falls to only one suspect. The person the Ministry of Magic has had on their Most Wanted list for a very long time. Katlin Griss.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: It's not mine, except the parts that are.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: SAFE AT HOME

The first thing Thomas noted when they appeared in the foyer of the Black estate was that Bo was not with them.

The reason for that became clear only a few seconds later when Orion came running into the foyer, follow closely behind by the boggart, who was weaving about him like a great black specter, gesturing frantically all the while.

"Katlin!" Orion stated in alarm, immediately falling on his knees next to them and taking the woman out of Thomas' arms.

"Katlin!" He stated again. "Katlin! Love, open your eyes! Talk to me!"  
Since his first day in the house, Thomas had thought of his surrogate father as a man without one honest emotion in him. But the pure pain and fear in the man's eyes was unmistakable. A look that didn't dissipate in the slightest until the woman in his arms gave a soft moan and reached up a hand to touch his face.

Orion quickly hugged her body to him as he whispered several things in her ear and then lightly kissed the side of her head.

Orion quickly turned his attention to Thomas, who pulled back slightly, sure the real storm was now about to break.

But to the teenager's surprise Orion reached over and ran a hand lightly over his cheek.

"Are you all right?" He ask, the same deep worry showing in his eyes as before.

Thomas managed a slight nod, still waiting for the caress to turn to a slap at any moment.

But instead Orion grabbed the boy behind the neck and pulled him into a tight, one armed hug.

"Thank heavens you're both all right! Bo said you were attacked!"

Thomas nodded quickly, confirming what Bo had told Orion. "Back at the lair. Katlin tried to rescue me, and she was attacked by some guy there. Someone named 'Johnathan'."

The worried stare disappeared so fast Thomas barely even had time to note the change when he found himself staring into a pair of cold, dark eyes.

"Treaks?!" Orion stated in a low growl. "Johnathan Treaks did this to my wife?!"

Thomas shook his head. "I never heard his last name. Katlin only called him 'Johnathan'."

Orion paused, then slowly got to his feet with Katlin still in his arms.

Thomas followed behind him as he took her upstairs and laid her carefully on the bed. All of to which Katlin never made a single sound.

Orion quickly pointed his wand at the fireplace.

"Dr. Richard's." He stated.

"Mr. Black." Came the answer after a few moments. "What can I do for you?"

"My wife needs a doctor." Orion replied. "A very discreet one."

Only seconds later a short, portly, red-haired man stepped from the flames. "How fortunate you happen to know one." He replied.

Without any further conversation, the doctor set to his work while Orion stepped over to where Thomas stood and directed him outside the room.

"Dr. Richards will take care of Katlin." He answered the boy's worried look, turning him back to face him. "What about you? Are you OK? Any hits?"

Thomas shook his head. "Katlin held them off." He answered. "She shoved me down a corridor and told me to run."

"And did you?"

Thomas paused, unsure of how to answer the question. But finally he gave a slow nod. "She said I was to do what she told me." Thomas explained. "But I didn't go very far. I stopped after a few seconds and went back. I wasn't going to leave her there to try and fight those guys alone. I knew she was out-numbered, and I had my wand.

When I went back I saw her trying to fight off the others. I guess she was trying to give me time to escape." Thomas looked up at the man with a repentant stare. "Orion, I'm sorry." He stated sincerely. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just thought...I didn't think things would turn out like this. And I never wanted Katlin to get hurt. All she's done is try to be nice to me." He added, staring at the closed door. "And because of me," He finished in a quieter tone, "she was almost killed."

Orion turned the boy back to him. "What she did for you, she would have done for any of you. Without hesitation."

Thomas stared up at the man. "Why?" He ask simply.

"Because she loves you." Orion said. "I wish you could just get that one thing straight, Thomas. Katlin makes decisions about people very quickly. And you and your siblings she couldn't care about more than if you were each her own."

The teenager turned his attention back to the door. "She'll probably never want to see me again."

Orion gave him a small chuckle. "You're probably the first person she'll ask for. And she'll either want to hug you or hit you for not obeying her. So be prepared for either."

At that point, Thomas would have settled for either.

Orion waited outside the door with Thomas until Dr. Richards finally came out, closing the door quietly behind him.

"Well?" Orion ask.

Richards shook his head. "When will this girl understand that if she doesn't start taking things more easily, neither can I?"

Orion shrugged. "She likes physical activity."

"Tell her to join a gym."

"Is she going to be OK?"

Richards gave a quiet sigh. "This time...again." He replied. "She'll have some bumps and bruises, and she'll hurt for a few days. The worst of it was the hit she took from one very nasty spell. But overall she was very lucky this time." Richards gave the man a meaningful look. "But her luck's going to run out one day, Orion. Things are getting more and more dangerous...," He cast a quick glance at the boy standing next to Orion. "...where she works. She needs to exercise a little more caution."

"I'll be sure to tell her."

Richard's gave a small shrug. "Better you than me. I gave her a bit of potion for the pain. She needs to stay in bed for at least tomorrow."

"Give it our best shot."

Richard's gave the pair a parting wave as he headed down the stairs to the front door.

****

Q&A

ilovesiriusblack:

****

What is it with Orin's department and dating deatheaters? And why is Orin getting a death eater to confirm a statement, if its not true wouldn't it be safer for one of the good guys to find the file?  
Bo is so cool. I am surprised though that he came when Thomas called, I wouldn't have suspected Orion to tell Bo to listen to the children. Thomas appears to be a bit of a power house where did he learn it all? I think Katlin and Treaks are going to have an awful lot of explaining to do and I'm not honestly sure who's in more trouble.  
Can't wait to find out how this turns out.

Truly, you are starting to ask the most interesting questions.

And that's a good one. But Connie is not dating Eric. She is, as she said, simply having a friendly lunch with him. The interesting point here, which you are not currently aware of, mostly because it hasn't been entered into the story line yet, is the relationship these three have to each other. But, suffice to say for now that they do, indeed, all know each other very well.

Again, another good question. And even harder to answer, because, again, you don't know the full extent of the relationship between the characters. But in this case, based on the nature of what he wants done and the information involved, there is no one Orin would trust more to get the job done, and done right, than Eric.

Man! You are just batting 1000 here today! First let me say that, indeed, Bo is very cool. And he's just so much darned fun to write about.

Orion has not told Bo to listen to the children. He has told him to watch over them and keep them safe, but not to do as they tell him. (The fun is really going to start when the kids start to realize that Bo can be manipulated based on what he's told, how he interprets it, and what you say to him.) With that said, the fact that Thomas was able to call Bo is very telling in the last chapter. One, it speaks volumes of just how powerful Thomas is, or at least, how powerful he could become. Something even the teenager is as yet unaware of. And second, it raises the question of why Bo answered his call. Something that will come up again in Family Ties.

Again, yes, Thomas has a great deal of potential. Something people are going to start taking notice of very shortly.

Where did he learn it all? Pure natural talent, Dear. That is one of the things that makes him so unique.

And remember that Orion also was doing highly advanced magic for his age by the time he got into Hogwarts. But then, he also had a very good teacher.

Whose been teaching Thomas is a matter dealt with in Family Ties.

Indeed, both have some serious explaining to do. The problem for Treaks is that Katlin is just so much better at it than he is.

Silverfox:

****

Ah, but there's always the possibility of Thomas having taken a scary tale more seriously than the teller expected. ;)  
Well, now I suppose Thomas getting away will be all Treaks' fault and look he damaged the lair while he was at it ...

Which scary tale is that, Dear?

Katlin is in a lot more hot water right now than Treaks. She help a prisoner escape and attacked her fellow Elite in that effort.

Treaks, on the other hand, attempt to stop her, and has witnesses.

The trick for Katlin is how to make the situation work for her, rather than against her.

All reviews are as of 05/04/2008.

And remember;

Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Wish it was mine, but it's not...at least not the parts that aren't. The rest is mine.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: A LITTLE BED-REST CAN BE A GOOD THING

The next morning Orion set a large tray over Katlin's lap on the bed.

"This is overkill." She stated blandly.

"This is doctor's orders, Love. You are to stay in bed today."

"I'm not staying in this blessed bed all day, Orion. I'll get bored!"

Orion wiggled his eyebrows at her. "I took the day off work. I could stay up here and keep it interesting for you."

Katlin narrowed her eyes at him. "I want to see the prescription for that." She stated.

"I've already turned it in to the pharmacy with the others Richards wrote for you."

Katlin raised her eyebrows. "I'm sure they had an interesting time trying to fill that order."

"Well, I tried. But actually they said I was on my own with that one."

"I'll just bet."

Orion nudged at the tray. "Come on. Eat something. Doctor's orders. Made the eggs myself."

Katlin dutifully took a muffin and layered some scrambled eggs over it with a few strips of bacon.

"How is Thomas this morning?" She ask.

"Pretty certained that I'm being mean and not letting him see you is just my way of punishing him."

"And your take on that?" She asked quizzically.

"I'm being mean and not letting him see you is just my way of punishing him."

Katlin sighed quietly. "Well, I hope one of you grows up soon."

"Katlin, the boy ran away, got himself captured by Deatheaters, and nearly got you killed. I am not currently handing out awards for that particular behavior."

"And so you're going to do what? Keep him in his room for the rest of his life?"

"No. But I'll think of something. And his not being allowed to see you, for your information, is for both your goods. Him, because he needs to be getting some sleep. And you, because you need to be getting some sleep."

"So, where is he?"

"Sleeping last time I checked on him. But that's only been for about the past hour or so."

Katlin nodded slightly as she took another bite of her breakfast.

Orion watched her for a few moments, then picked up one of the biscuits on the tray and layered it with a good helping of butter.

"Thomas said you were attacked in the lair." He commented after a few moments.

But Katlin heard the underlying warning all too clearly. She wondered how long it was going to take him to get to this, and he had actually held off with any questions longer than she had expected him too. But knowing her husband's temper, and his feelings on certain matters, she wasn't about to give him what he wanted. So instead she simply nodded in response.

"He said it was a group of Elite." Orion went on, filling in the facts for himself.

Katlin turned slowly to him. "How would a fourteen year old boy know what a group of Elite Deatheaters looks like, Orion?" She ask.

"Lucky guess."

"So after all this happens, Thomas comes running up to you and says, 'Oh, by the way, we were attacked by a group of Elite at the lair.'? Not a 'group of Deatheaters'?"

"I told you, lucky guess on his part."

"Fishing for information is more like it." She replied flatly. "Why don't you maker this easier on both of us and just tell me what is it you really want?"

Orion turned to her. "Thomas said the Elite that hit you with that last spell was Johnathan Treaks."

Katlin turned back to her muffin. "That's business, Orion."

"That is not 'business', Katlin. That is a man who tried to kill my wife."

"You don't know that for a fact."

"Thomas said he heard you call the man 'Johnathan'. And his description of the man could not have been anyone else equally as ugly as Treaks."

"Johnathan is not ugly." Katlin replied matter-of-factly. "If you'll recall, I was going to marry him."

"You were never going to marry that piece of scum. You were being mated to him by your beloved dark lord. Or even better, traded off."

"Voldemort had very little to do with that matter. That was all Johnathan's doing. I've told you that a hundred times. Johnathan saw no other way to usurp my power in the lair than by placing himself as much as my equal as he could. Which to him, meant a marriage between us. He didn't want me, Orion, he wanted my position. I was just part of the package to him."

"And for the hundredth time," Orion answered her with a slow, soft smile, "the man is an utter fool to have overlook the best part of the bargain."

Katlin returned his smile and allowed him a slow, gentle kiss as he leaned over her.

But as he pulled back, she offered him another sweet smile. "I'm still not going to tell you what you want to know." She said in a voice that matched her smile.

Orion pulled back, taking another bite of his biscuit. "Doesn't matter." He commented, getting off the bed. "I decided to kill him a long time ago based solely on principle."

Katlin glanced up at him. "And what principle would that be?"

"He's a prick."

"You're certainly taking your time with it. We've been married nearly ten years."

"Because I want to really enjoy it. Now be a good girl and eat your eggs." He told her.

Katlin looked over the plate of eggs again. But this time something about the way Orion had directed her towards them waved a red flag. Looking up at him, she watched as he happily chewed away on his biscuit.

"Why aren't you having any?" She ask suspiciously. "You usually love scrambled eggs."

Orion shook his head. "I usually do. But I really hate it when people mix potions in with them. Puts me right off them."

Katlin's eyes narrowed dangerously as she frowned up at him. "Potion?"

"Just a little something to make sure you're a good girl and follow your doctor's orders to get some rest." He replied, kissing her lightly on the nose. "Now finish your breakfast and I'll come clear things away later."

Katlin watched him walk to the door. "Orion."

Orion turned back to her.

"Leave Treaks alone. He's my problem."

Orion shook his head once. "No, Love. He's 'our' problem. Have a nice nap."

Katlin shook her head as she sighed to herself, watching him leave the room. She knew when the conversation turned towards Johnathan Treaks she was more or less talking to herself. Orion never listened to her on this one matter, and she was afraid he seriously underestimated just how dangerous Johnathan could be.

--

Katlin woke up with no clear idea of exactly what time it was. But by the sun's rays shining in the bedroom window, she reasoned it had to be early afternoon.

Rolling over, she turned to look at the clock by the bed when a figure standing silently halfway in the doorway caught her attention.

With his hand raised to tap again on the doorframe, Thomas peered into the room.

"Did I wake you up?" He asked quietly.

Katlin pulled herself around and sat up in the bed, pulling the covers into her lap. The tray from earlier was gone, so Orion must have come and taken it after she fell asleep.

Shaking her head, she offered the teenager a small smile. "No. I was just laying here, really."

"You were snoring." Thomas added.

Katlin pulled herself up with an indignant air. "I do not snore!" She stated empirically.

The comment earned her a small smile in return. "Then you breath really loud." The smile faded, followed by a small, awkward silence.

"Well, if you did wake me up, and I'm not saying you did," Katlin pointed out, "I would hope there was a reason."

Thomas glanced up at her. "I wanted to see how you were. If you were OK, or if you needed anything." He said quietly, his voice fading with each word until Katlin could hardly hear him at all.

"Thomas," she replied gently, "you're either going to have to speak up or come closer."

The boy took a cautious few steps into the room, which is exactly what Katlin had hoped he would do, although she had little doubt which option he would take. Raising his voice might alert Orion to where he was. Something she was pretty sure he had no desire to do at all.

With one quick motion Katlin pulled out her wand and the door quickly shut behind him.

"Now," Katlin said, folding her arms in front of her, "would you care to repeat that a little louder, now that we have some privacy?"

Katlin gave the boy credit. He stood his ground after the door closed behind him instead of putting his back to it or trying to force it open.

Thomas paused for a few moments as though he was considering his options before turning a solid stare to the woman in the bed. "So, am I going to get my punishment now?"

"You know, Thomas, you have a real thing about punishment." Katlin replied. "You're either waiting for the axe to fall, or you're so blessed eager for it, you run around asking people when they're going to give it to you. And just so we're all on the same page this time, might I ask exactly what it is we're punishing you for this time?"

Thomas gave her a questioning stare. "Because I caused all this."

"All this?" Katlin asked.

"I ran away, I got captured, you almost got killed...all that was my fault. I mean, if you guys didn't want me before, you sure don't now."

Katlin folded her arms across her chest again. "I'd like to be left at least partly in that decision making process if it's all the same to you."

The teenager gave her brief stare, then turned to the floor. "Suit yourself."

"Thank you. I will." Katlin replied casually. "And actually, Thomas, I'll make a deal with you."

The boy looked up again.

"I'm willing to forego all punishment...totally wipe the slate clean, if you'll do one thing for me."

Thomas considered the offer for a few moments. "What thing?"

Katlin softened her tone slightly. "Tell me why." She said. "Why did you run away to begin with?"

Thomas stuffed his hands deep in his pocket as he stared hard at the ground. "I was just trying to make it easier for everyone." He stated quietly.

"Easier?" Katlin fanned her arms out. "You call this making things easier?"

"I didn't plan for things to go the way they did." Thomas replied, still staring hard at the carpet. "I was trying to make things easier for you and Orion...and for myself...and the others."

Katlin frowned at the statement. "Easier how?" She ask.

Thomas shrugged back at her. "You and Orion have what you want. Four kids."

"The last time I counted there were five of you." Katlin quickly pointed out.

"Four and the trouble maker." Thomas replied.

"Yes, well, we tend to get use to Bo and his antics." She replied flatly.

"I'm not referring to Bo."

Katlin stared down at the boy. "Well, then I'm afraid you've lost me."

Thomas looked up at her. "I called the Ministry on you, Katlin." The teenager stated in exasperation. "And I heard what Orion said when I ask him what was going to happen to me. He said you two would have to 'talk about it'."

Katlin raised an eyebrow. "And from that you figured out what exactly?"

Thomas paused as he studied the woman in front of him. "That you two figured you would be a lot happier if you didn't have me."

"You!?" Katlin asked, her own exasperation showing in her voice. "You think you have the sole monopoly on causing problems in this group? Well, I have some very sad news for you, young man. First off, you are no where even near what havoc a certain boggart can cause when he puts his mind to it and is given just half a chance. Orion has already had to call off the magic reversal squad on Justin, I don't think whatever Lucy brewed in my best cooking pot is ever going to come out, and Vincent rewrote half the spells in one of my favorite books...in ink...because he insisted they could be better if I tried them his way."

"Probably will. He's real good with spells."

"My point, Thomas," Katlin stated a bit firmer, "is that you are not the only one of this family that will ever do anything wrong in your life. It's called 'growing up'. You try things. Sometimes they're good things, sometimes they're not so good. The only thing Orion and I can hope for is that you learn from your mistakes."

Thomas looked up at her again. "Just like you learned from yours?"

"Mine?"

"You're a Deatheater, but you say they're not good people. That some of them are really bad and they do a lot of bad things. And yet you stay with them."

Katlin gave an exasperated sigh. "I'm not perfect, Thomas. I never said I was. And yes, I have made some horrible errors in judgment in my life. But I have tried to learn from them and do better the next time. But whether or not one of those errors was becoming and staying a Deatheater has yet to be seen."

"But you're still a Deatheater." The boy stated in a flat, emotionless voice.

Katlin could already see where he was going. "Yes, I am."

"Then you haven't learned anything." He stated in the same level tone.

"And sometimes what we learn isn't always printed in black and white, Thomas."

****

Q&A

MasterLupine:

****

Well I must say a lot has happened since the last time I had time to read. Thomas' connection to Bo is interesting, I see a lot of plot potential there. Also with Thomas' realization that he is a family where he is loved and wanted even though it might not have been obvious at the time. I think that this event will be a turning point for Thomas continuing development, over the next few days I would think that Thomas' will do nothing but ponder what this new relationship means.

Indeed, Dear, there is a great deal of potential there. And Orion may soon find himself facing the very decision his own father had to make so many years ago where his sons were concerned, as well as learn a few new, possibly not so pleasant facts, about his boggart.

Thomas is still having a bit of trouble with the whole 'family' thing. He stills sees himself as the guarder/protector of his family, and views his siblings and Orion and Katlin in the 'us' and 'them' scenario.

He indeed has a lot of thinking to do. And his resolve to stay and fight to protect Katlin was a large turning point in that relationship. Even though Katlin is a Deatheater, and an Elite, she still chose to stand against her own people to protect him. That meant a lot to Thomas, and helped solidify in his mind where her ultimate loyalties lie. His current problem is he can't justify in his mind exactly why she is still with the Deatheaters, since she doesn't seem, in her actions, to support them anymore.

ilovesiriusblack:

****

If I were Johnathon I would not like to meat Orion in a dark alley any time soon. I predict their chances of making Katlin stay in bed are zero. Orion really is very lucky to know Dr Richards and be able to call on him for help with the line of work he's in, the man must be some kind of saint.  
Why does Thomas find it so hard to believe that someone loves him, it's not as if he's had an unhappy childhood?  
Looking forward to the next chapter.

Treaks would never put himself in the position of ever meeting up with Orion where he didn't have back-up. He knows too darned well the outcome. Treaks has seen what the Unspeakable is capable of when he's angry (Remember the lair?) and has no desire to see that type of power directed at him in a negative way.

Well, if they were left to their own devices, probably so. Katlin is an active lady and hates just laying about...unless her husband is with her. But drugs are sometimes wonderful things in getting us to do things we don't like to do, but are necessary.

Dr. Richards actually has a very long history with Orion. And not a very good one. He first showed up in The Bonds That Tie, and again in Enemies. If you did not read either of those stories, here's some background; Aaron Richards is, in fact, a werewolf, much as Lupin is. The difference is, Dr. Richards is a great deal more active within the werewolf community than Lupin. Not only does he not fear or detest what he is, he works with it, using his enhanced skills to be a better doctor. He also runs a type of 'underground railroad' for werewolves who run amuck of the Ministry and need to be protected or relocated. He also works in educating those recently afflicted with lycanthropy, and helps them understand their new situation and how to live with it safely.

Saint? Well..., that's up for debate. But over all, he's an all right sort of guy. And Katlin likes him.

No, Thomas did not have an unhappy childhood. At least not until recently. But the boy did just lose both of his parents in a horrible tragedy, and suddenly found himself caretaker to four younger siblings. Past that, no sooner is he getting a grip on one new situation, than he's thrust into another one. One that seems to be veritably riddled with people who are keeping secrets. For Thomas, nothing is very stable right now, and so the safest place is to pull back from everything and just wait for all the pieces to settle before making any decisions.

All reviews are as of 05/11/2008.

And remember;

A very happy Mothers Day to all the mothers out there, especially my own. Happy Mothers Day, Mom! Lots of love from your youngest.


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: We all know the drill, folks. Not mine...except the parts that are. Not making any money off of it...unless you'd like to send some to me. Then please note 'artistic contribution' on your tax form.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: LAYING GROUNDWORK

That night Orion came upstairs to find Katlin sitting up in the bed, staring at the wall in front of her as she absently nibbled on one of her nails.

The Unspeakable immediately went into caution mode. This was a sign of anything from Katlin merely mulling over a word in a crossword puzzle or his having forgotten some important date and she was contemplating how best to kill him.

Slowly approaching the bed, Orion quickly noted the absence of any crossword book.

Not a good sign.

"So," he asked finally, when she failed to acknowledge that she even knew he was there, "what is it then? Anniversary? Birthday? What? If I'm going to die, at least tell me what for."

Katlin didn't even turn to him. "Why would I want to kill you, Love?" She ask absently.

"You're suppose to tell me that." Orion stated in a puzzled tone.

One that was matched by Katlin's expression as she turned to him. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, there's no crossword book, no papers laying about, no checkbook, and you haven't been to the lair today, so I can only speculate on what has your attention a million miles away, but I'm willing to bet I have something to do with it."

Katlin turned back to the wall with a brief shake of her head. "No. Not really."

Orion gave a smile of genuine relief. "I'm not?"

Katlin shook her head again. "But I think we do have a problem, Orion."

Orion stopped half way through taking his shirt off, the smile quickly disappearing. "Problem?"

"Thomas...all the children really."

"What problem do we have with Thomas that extends to the rest of them?"

Katlin turned to her husband. "Orion, Thomas thinks I'm a Deatheater."

Orion finished pulling off his shirt and stood staring down at her for several moments. "Katlin, you are a Deatheater." He finally stated.

Katlin shook her head. "Not the way that Thomas thinks of a Deatheater, Orion. And I'm sure the rest aren't far behind him with their ideas of what a Deatheater is...or what I am."

Orion sat on the bed. "All right. So what is it exactly that the children think you are? Aside from a woman who has already proved...twice...that she is willing to risk her life for them?"

"Orion, when they look at me, they only see a Deatheater. And from their interpretation of things, that isn't exactly someone you...warm up to."

"Love, hating to state the obvious again, but that is what you are. And if they want testimonial on the fact," he added, scooting across the bed towards her side, "I can vouch that you are definitely someone to warm up to."

A less than welcoming stare stopped his movement. "Orion, you know as well as I do that the Deatheaters are not what we used to be. The group is changing. Our leaders are changing. They don't hold to the old ideas anymore, and they don't teach the younger ones the same ideals we use to profess."

"Like racial purity?" Orion replied flatly. This was not a conversation he cared to have with his wife right before bed.

Katlin pointed a finger at him. "That is just what I'm talking about, Orion." She stated firmly. "We...or at least the older faction, do not preach racial purity the way it is today by others in the lair."

"But you still believe in it, Love."

Katlin gave an exasperated sigh. This was an old argument. "Orion, I believe in the survival of our race. I believe that if witches and wizards keep marrying muggles and producing half-breeds, we will die out as a race. Magic will disappear from the face of the Earth. And the evidence that is what is happening is all around you. How you can remain so blind to it I simply can't understand! More and more squibs being born each day. Children who are showing a diminished ability in their magical skills. And what about our secrecy? The more of our kind that marry muggles...Orion, every one of them is a risk we take at exposure. And then what?! We end up in cages being used for experiments? Or we're burned at the stake again...or in our own houses." She finished quietly. "I've seen what hatred and prejudice can do, Orion. Do to good, decent people when one comes in and lights a flame to hidden doubts. My parents paid for their trust and friendship with muggles with their lives. I don't want that for my children."

"And for every bad example of mixing with muggles you can show me, Katlin, I can show you one where it does work. Look at Charly. Did he expose us? Did he run off to the tabloids in search of money or fame he would gain by exposing us? No. He joined us, Katlin. He joined us and he fights with us. Helping to protect our people from the very things you fear."

"He fights my people." She replied bluntly.

Orion put his hands up as he moved back to the edge of the bed. "This is a conversation we shouldn't even be having." He stated, getting up. "This is 'business', Katlin. And we don't get into stuff like this, remember? You have your beliefs, and I have mine. Neither of us is going to budge."

"But that's where you're wrong, Orion." She stated, turning with him as he moved about the room. "And it's the very point I'm trying to get at. I have changed...or better, I've held to the old beliefs while others in the lair have changed. Especially Voldemort. He's not who he was, Orion. He's not the same man who I grew up loving and admiring and believing in with my whole soul. He changed after the attack on the Potter's. Something deep inside of him changed that night."

Orion turned to her. "He lost, Katlin. Something that can leave a bad taste in your mouth for a very long time with someone like the dark lord."

But Katlin shook her head. "It was more fundamental that that, Orion. Than just a hurt ego. He changed in his heart."

"Is he still professing to have one of those?" Orion asked innocently.

Katlin frowned at him. "My point," she stated between clenched teeth, "is that he has changed...and with him many of our people. They follow him with a blind loyalty that is almost dangerous. Then there are people like Treaks, and Malfoy, and others in the lair, who do the things they do because they simply enjoy inflicting pain and suffering on others. But then, Orion," She added, "then there are the ones like me. The ones who still hold to the old ways. The old beliefs. Who are fighting because we believe our very race is in danger. We don't fully oppose muggle marriages. If you fall in love with a muggle, that's is your misfortune."

Orion frowned at the comment. "I've never viewed falling in love with anyone a 'misfortune'."

"Sometimes it is." Katlin replied seriously. "But if you do fall in love with a muggle, you do. We rarely have a choice in who we fall in love with." She added, giving him a meaningful look. "But nor should we encourage these relationships. They do not serve for the survival of our race and they should not be looked upon with such..."

"Approval?" Orion supplied.

"Complacency." Katlin stated flatly.

Orion sat back on the bed. "All right. Fine. So you're old school. What has that to do with the children?"

"Orion, the point is they don't understand who I really am or how things are in the lair. They see Deatheaters all as one kind. As the ones who run around in the night, stirring up trouble and killing at random. That isn't the view I want anyone to have of my people...of me. It isn't who we are."

"It's who some of you are."

"But not all."

"So what? Now you're afraid of bad press?"

Katlin frowned at him, then rolled over, pulling the covers with her. "If you're not going to take this seriously, I see no point in continuing." She stated, the anger clearly in her voice. "I'll work it out by myself."

But Orion quickly pulled her back over despite her resistance to the lead. "Oh no. This is a marriage, Love. We work things out together. And you obviously feel there is a problem with the children and their relationship to you and we need to talk about it. So talk."

"So you can continue to make fun of me?" She ask, rolling back over. "No thanks. You've had your fun for tonight, Mr. Black. Good night." But she quickly pulled up as she turned to him over her shoulder. "And that's all your fun for tonight, by the way."

But Orion pulled her back over to face him. "Katlin..., all right. You're right. I'm sorry." He apologized quickly as she pulled against his hold. "You feel there's a problem. I'm not seeing it. So help me understand it."

Katlin paused, then slowly pulled herself free of his hold on her arm as she sat back up in their bed. "Orion, I am not a Deatheater like Treaks. I do not go out on the town and torture muggles because I have nothing better to do with my time. I try to preserve the old beliefs. I try to teach them to the new comers before the others get their hooks into them. I try to do some good for my people. I try to keep Voldemort in line by reporting attacks and plans to Orin if I believe they are wrong. And if there are those in the lair that are getting too out of hand, I deal with them."

"OK. So you're not the typical, stereotyped Deatheater."

"But the children think I am. When they look at me all they see is a Deatheater. Not someone who is trying to help her people."

Orion took a slow deep breath. "This is not trying to start a fight, Katlin." He stated plainly. "But I feel the need to point out that some of us do not believe that preaching racial purity is trying to do some good for your people."

Katlin glared at him. "I do not preach exclusive racial purity. I explained myself on that already."

"Point taken." Orion replied, holding his hands up. "But maybe it's because it's late and I'm tired, but, Love, what is it exactly you want to do here?"

"I want to talk to them, Orion." She stated. "All of them. If they are going to live here...if, heaven permit, we are allowed to adopt them one day, I want them to trust me. I want them to know who I am and what I do. That when there's a report in the paper of a Deatheater attack, that they don't all look at me like I carried it out personally. I don't want them to hate or fear me, Orion. I want to be their mother one day. If they don't trust me, I will never rise above the level of 'caretaker' with them."

"You don't know how they'll feel, Katlin."

Katlin turned to the bed covers in her lap. "Do you remember the day I told Thomas I was a Deatheater? And do you remember when I showed him what the fire really did to me?" She ask, turning her eyes to him. "He said I 'deserved' that, Orion."

"He's still only a child, Katlin. Speaking with a child's understanding."

"And they are all children. And they may all feel exactly the same way. They just haven't voiced it yet."

"I've never seen fear or mistrust in any of them towards you, Katlin."

"Until the Deatheaters do something really bad." She replied. "What if one day on the muggle news an attack is reported somewhere in the world, and hundreds...thousands of people die. What's to stop them from looking at me and wondering if the Deatheaters had something to do with that? If I had something to do with it?"

"Katlin, they are not going to hold you to blame for every bad thing that happens in the world."

"I don't want them to ever even start, Orion." She replied firmly. "I want them to know that it is pointless, meaningless things like attacks on muggles that I try to stop. That that is the good I do for my people. No, I do not believe wizards and witches should be marrying muggles. I am opposed to such a thing. But nor do I believe muggles should be killed for it. Or whole families wiped out just because the family's bloodline is now mixed. What is, is. I am not trying to change the past. I'm trying to secure the future for our race. To make sure we have one.

But I do not believe that will be done in an all out war between magic users and muggles.

But when people hear the word 'Deatheater', that is what they think of, Orion. Prejudices, hatred, and terror. I will not have my children believing that that is the cause I fight for. It is not what we are. Not all of us. Not anymore."

Orion studied her for a few moments. "All right, Love. What is it you want to do?"

"I want to talk to them, with you. Sit all five of them down and tell them how things really are. Tell them the truth, Orion. They'll hear the rumors, the lies, the stories of Deatheaters. I want them to hear the truth. And I want them to hear it from both of us."

Orion thought about the suggestion, then nodded. "All right. Tomorrow we'll sit them down and we'll explain everything to them. But Katlin, you have to know this may backfire on you. The kids already know you're a Deatheater and I haven't seen any great rebellion on their part because of it...except the one. But telling them the truth of what you do within the Deatheaters may not cause the reaction you want."

Katlin laid back on her pillows. "I don't care what reaction it causes, Orion." She said. "I just want them to know the truth."

****

Q&A

MasterLupin:

****

well this was informative, I Thomas may be forcing Katlin to look at herself and come to a final decision on her death eater allegiance ( over a bit of time). I wonder what's in store now for the family now that Thomas won't be running away and or calling the M.O.M anytime soon. Isn't it time for Sirius to break out of prison on this time line or has that happened by this point? I think that would be a delightful shock for Thomas, his adoptive mother is a death eater who he almost inadvertently got killed, and his Uncle is a convicted mass murder escapee, how he won't call the ministry again about his new family I don't know.

I don't know that Thomas is necessarily going to make Katlin take any good hard looks at herself or her allegiances. Katlin has been changing her mind about things (or more so, trying to hold onto old beliefs) for quite some time now. As she pointed out in this chapter, she isn't the one who has changed. After the attack on the Potters, Voldemort came back a very changed man...in more ways than one. And over time, Katlin has come to realize that he isn't the person she knew and loved. Her indebtedness to him doesn't allow her to oppose him outright. He is still the man who took her in and made her what she is. But she does realize he is a little less than stable in some of his ideology now. But she also realizes she is in a perfect position to be the person to keep a bit of control over him and try to keep the casualty numbers down.

Just your standard stuff. Home, work, Dad to the office, Mom off to the lair, boggart in charge of the kids during the day.

That is a tough one to pinpoint, Dear. Thomas is about Harry's age, and he's almost fifteen. So Harry would be...let's say 15, since this is the summer in between class sessions...they start school when they are 11...Sirius escaped in Harry's third year when he was thirteen...hmmmmmmmm..., sounds like a good possibility, Dear. But even so, seeing Thomas' reaction, and subsequent reactions, to Katlin being a Deatheater, I don't think any news flashes about his new uncle are going to be forthcoming any time soon.

Well, like the old saying goes, you get to pick your friends, not your family.

ilovesiriusblack:

****

Potion in the eggs? How underhanded. Just curious, what type of biscuit do you spread butter on?  
I'm not sure that Orion is going to agree with Katlin over the no punishment issue but then again I dont think Katlin will care all that much if he agrees with her or not,call it payback for the eggs. I hopeThomas and Katliin really get into the whole deatheater tthing I really would love to hear Katlin justify her position.  
Looking forward to the next chapter.

The man is an Unspeakable, Dear. Underhanded is second nature to him. And actually, I thought it was a pretty good trick.

Buttermilk or Pillsbury Grands are my favorites. Just about anything you stick in an oven that fifteen minutes later comes out as a flake, warm, circular piece of baked dough works for me. If you're thinking biscuit cookie (and I'll just bet the little equals sign in between those words didn't show up in the download...it never does), then 'No. No butter on the biscuit/cookie'. Other than that...I can think of darned little butter doesn't go good on.

Somehow I see Orion as the one in this set up who will dole out the punishments, and Katlin as the one who will mediate them.

Next chapter, Dear. And you might be surprised. Katlin has a very good stand on what she does and why.

Silverfox:

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The scary tale of the new Death Eater Mum who's going to come after you, if you don't finish all those sprouts, darling. ;) (Hey look, my wink survived me hitting submit last time, so let's try that again.)  
Somehow I'm not worried about Katlin finding a good explanation for walking around in the company of a prisoner that should be in his cell at all. And once she does we'll see how well Treaks can explain his actions. That one I'm not at all sure of.  
Really? I usually just hand feed the string to the vacuum at that point.

The woman gives 'Because I'm the mommy, that's why.' a whole new perspective.

Actually, I am looking forward to posting the chapter where Katlin explains her actions to Voldemort and why one of his prisoners escaped. It's really one of my favorites in this story...right after the one where Orin sits down with Loudmen and has a little 'chat'.

Mine will pick it up, but then redeposit it several feet down the rug again.

All reviews are as of 05/18/2008.

And remember;

Why do banks charge a fee for 'insufficient funds' when they know there's not enough money?


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: What? You still think this is solely mine? Man, you are gullible!

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN-SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Katlin stood in front of the fireplace in the large pallor as four anxious pairs of eyes watched her from the sofa.

She and Orion had gathered the children together downstairs that night after dinner and after she had already put Katy to bed for the night, leaving Bo to watch over the child if she needed anything.

Katlin hadn't had much trouble convincing Orion to let her do this, since it had been his plan from several days back to tell all the children the truth about her and her affiliations with the Deatheaters. Currently the only two who knew the truth about her being a Deatheater were Lucy and Thomas. And only Thomas knew the truth about who she really was. And even that wasn't the complete story.

It was simply getting far too complicated to keep straight who knew what and since she was certain they were bound to start talking about it among themselves, she simply wanted to make sure they heard the whole truth. And she wanted them to hear it from her, so she was sure they got the facts right.

Gossip was simply not a reliable source.

But now that she had them all together, Katlin found she had no real idea where to start.

"Are we in trouble?" Justin supplied after several silent moments past with Katlin trying to think of a good opening that didn't start with, "I'm sure you're all wondering why I called you all here tonight.".

Orion was quick to pick up the ball Justin had tossed out. As reckless as his older brother at times, the comment to Orion was practically as good as a full fledged confession.

"Why would you be in trouble?" He asked, fixing his stare on the child.

The boy considered his answer, then simply shrugged. "We're all here...except Katy. She couldn't have done much to get into trouble. So it just seemed like a good possibility."

"No one is in any trouble." Katlin replied quickly, warning her husband off pursuing the matter with a hard stare. She needed to talk to them, not have Orion playing Grand Inquisitor with Justin. "Orion and I simply wanted to talk to the four of you. Some things have changed recently and we felt you should be aware of them...for your own safety. And that if anything unusual was to happen, you would know to come and tell us."

"What things?" Vincent ask.

Katlin paused before continuing. "As you are aware, Thomas got into a bit of trouble when he left the house without telling anyone."

There. That sounded important without being incriminating.

"He ran away!" Justin piped up suddenly.

"And got captured by Deatheaters!" Vincent was quick to add.

"And you rescued him." Lucy put in last in a quieter tone than her brother's near shouts. "That was how you got hurt."

Katlin stood for a moment in uncertained silence. Well, that story had clearly already made the rounds and been discussed in depth among them.

"Well," she began, again looking for the right opening to get to what she wanted to talk to them about, "why your brother left the house without asking or telling anyone he was leaving isn't really a matter open for discussion right now. And yes, he was taken by the Deatheaters and I had to get him away from them.

But what I wanted to talk to you about was why I was there in the first place."

"Thomas says you're a Deatheater." Vincent piped up quickly again. "Is that true?"

Katlin again stood in stunned silence. This group was worse than her village had been. What one person knew, everyone knew it seemed. Privacy was just a nice concept.

Katlin took a deep breath. "Yes, I am, Vincent." She replied carefully. "And that is what I wanted to talk to you all about."

"But Thomas said they attacked you!" Justin spoke up again. "Why did they attack you if you're one of them?"

Well, she hadn't anticipated this as being a question and answer session, but it was certainly working in her favor.

"Because she was trying to rescue him." Lucy spoke up, then quickly looked to Katlin for confirmation of her statement.

Katlin slowly seated herself in a chair in front of them. Parts of her she hadn't given much thought to in years were still sore from the attack, and standing was getting harder by the minute.

"That's right, Lucy." She answered the girl's still questioning stare.

"Thomas said it was because the man who lead the others was a real arse!" Justin announced proudly.

Katlin pulled up slightly in the chair. "A what?"

"He didn't say that!" Lucy corrected her brother quickly. "He said he was pig poop."

Katlin sighed quietly to herself. Not only had Thomas apparently discussed the events of his capture and rescue with his siblings already, but in great detail.

"What that man is is very dangerous." Katlin stated firmly, seeing a good opening for getting to her original point of wanting to talk to the children to begin with. "And he's not alone. As I am sure you have been told, or you have heard, many Deatheaters are very dangerous, violent people, and they do some very bad things."

"Then why are you one of them?" Vincent asked carefully, clearly voicing his siblings silent question as well as the other three turned their attention fully back to her.

Well, that certainly got to the heart of the matter. Katlin took another deep breath.

"I'm 'one of them'," she replied carefully, "for a lot of reasons. Mostly, because it's how I was raised."

"Raised?" Lucy ask. "But you're parents died."

"When I was 15." Katlin confirmed. "But after the fire that killed them and left me injured, Voldemort, the dark lord, found me, took me in, and raised me."

All four visibly drew back at the mention of the dark lord's name.

Katlin quickly raised a finger. "You mustn't do that." She told them firmly. "There is nothing magical or anything else in saying his name. The earth will not open and swallow you up, nor does a bolt of lightening strike down anyone who does. He is a wizard. Just like Orion. Just like you are witches and wizards. He is simply a very powerful one."

"He's crazy." Justin stated.

Katlin turned to him. "Who told you that?"

The boy looked mildly chastised. "Everyone says that." He replied carefully. "He's evil and crazy."

Katlin sighed again. "Well, 'everyone' isn't right, Justin." She replied. "Voldemort is neither evil nor crazy."

"Then why does he kill other witches and wizards?" Thomas ask.

"He doesn't." Katlin answered the oldest boy. "At least not all that they say he does. And he never use to do it at all."

Four eyes fixed back on her.

"When Voldemort took me in," Katlin said, deciding to go back to where she left off originally, "he taught me the things he believed in. And they weren't bad things. Not all of them."  
"Like what?" Lucy asked.

"Well, like that it wasn't a good idea for us to mix so freely with none magical people. It left us open to exposure, which could lead to some very bad things for both communities ."

All four seemed to consider the statement carefully, but said nothing in response.

"And," Katlin went on finally, "he felt that marriages between wizards and witches and a none magical person were wrong, because the children of such a marriage usually had very weak magical skills."

"The dark lord says that mixed race people should be killed." Justin put in quickly. "Mom and Dad use to tell us that. They said there were stories in the Daily Prophet about half-breeds being killed by the Deatheaters all the time, and the half-breeds were really afraid, never knowing who would be next."

"And sadly, Justin," Katlin answered him, "that's true. But that isn't the way things used to be. In the beginning, Voldemort saw a need to discourage marriages between magical and none magical people because the children of such families were very often squibs, with no magic in them at all. Voldemort saw our race dieing out due to such marriages. But he never voiced such an opinion that they should be killed outright."

"But 'half-breeds' are killed." Justin replied. "They wouldn't say so in the paper if it wasn't true."

Katlin gave a quiet sigh. "And it is true, Justin." She replied. "Sadly, it is very true."

"So why do you stay with them?" Thomas ask. "If the dark lord kills people just because they're 'half-breeds', and you're a Deatheater, is that what you believe too?"

"No." Katlin replied. "And that's what I wanted to explain to all of you. Why I'm still with the Deatheaters. I wanted each of you to know who and what I am. But I don't want you to fear me because of my affiliation with a group you only know from stories spread by misinformed people."

"But if the dark lord didn't used to kill people," Lucy spoke up in a quiet, reserved voice, "why does he do it now? Or are those just 'stories'?"

"They unfortunately aren't just 'stories', Lucy." Katlin explained. "Several years ago, Voldemort attacked a young couple, the Potter's. That's a story you all know. And he also tried to kill the couple's young son, Harry. But the spell, the killing curse, failed and rebounded on him.

The spell didn't kill Voldemort, but it...changed him. He forgot the things he used to teach me. He became more...angry...more violent. He no longer believed that mixed blood families should simply be discouraged, he felt they should be killed. The children of such marriages were no longer ones to be pitied, they were to be shunned at all costs. Ridiculed and terrorized. Killed if the opportunity arose." She added quietly. "These are not the things I was taught. They are not the things I believe in."

"Then why are you still with them?" Thomas asked again.

"Because there are still those there that believe in the old ways." Katlin replied. "There are two factions in the Deatheaters right now." She explained, turning her attention back to all of them. "One group embraces the violence and terror Voldemort now preaches against muggles and 'half breeds'. But there is another group that still believes in the original principles that founded Voldemort's followers. Who do not believe in killing someone just because they are different from you or because pure blood doesn't run in their veins."

"Then why do the others stay?" Lucy ask. "Why don't they leave?"

"Some have." Katlin replied. "In fact, a great many have turned their backs on what Voldemort now teaches. Many of them left after the war. Declared before the Ministry they no longer followed the dark lord and many helped capture their one-time fellow Deatheaters and bring them to justice. But many of them also paid a high price for their decision to turn against the dark lord. Many of them were killed.

The ones that lived were branded traitors and are hunted down and killed to this day. Many more are in hiding, protected by spells to hide them from the Deatheaters."

"But you stay." Thomas stated.

Katlin nodded. "I told you, Thomas, things aren't always the way they seem. Voldemort has great potential to rise in power to a state where even the Ministry could no longer oppose him. Unchecked, he could reach a level where no one could stop him or his half-mad schemes.

Someone has to watch, Thomas. Someone has to be in the lair, and have first hand knowledge of what is going on there and what Voldemort's next step will be. Someone has to make sure he never reaches that level of power."

Thomas stared at the woman in front of him. "You."

Katlin nodded.

"Why does it have to be you?" He asked with a frown.

"Because I'm the most qualified person for the job." Katlin replied.

The boy's frown deepened. "What makes you so qualified?"  
"Because I am one of them, Thomas." Katlin replied. "Because underneath all of it, I am a Deatheater. I understand them, and I know what they are capable of. I've seen it, and I don't run away frightened by it."

"But you can't fight them on your own." Lucy protested. "They'll kill you too."

"I don't fight them." Katlin replied.

"Then what do you do?"

Orion stepped up next to his wife. "If Katlin learns of an attack, or some other plan Voldemort has that she feel serves no other purpose than innocent people dieing, she tells me. I take that information to the Ministry, and we do what we can to stop it."

Justin suddenly sat up straight on the sofa. "You're a spy!" He announced proudly.

Thomas visibly winced, remembering Katlin's reaction when he had used the same word in relation to her, sure his brother was in for a similar dressing down.

But Orion took over once again. "My wife is no spy." He stated firmly. "And if you've paid any attention at all to what's she been telling you, there's a purpose behind it. Thomas was captured by the Deatheaters, that much is true. But it is possible that this attack on your brother may or may not be connected in some way to the attack on your parents.

Someone attacked your family. The reason for that attack was because your parents had found something that was very important to someone. Something this person did not want anyone else to know."

Four pairs of eyes were now focused on Orion.

"Someone killed our parents just because of some piece of information?" Justin ask.

Orion nodded. "But they didn't get what they came for and they may now think you can tell them what they want to know. Now it is possible that the Deatheaters may have learned about what your parents had and also want that information. That may be the reason your brother was taken, and it is something Katlin may be able to find out for us, being able to move freely about the lair without raising any suspicions. But it is also the reason the four of you are with us. Someone killed your parents, they tried to kill you, and that someone is still out there. And however ironic it may seem, the two people best qualified to protect you right now are a Ministry Auror and a Deatheater. And if anything strange happens, or anyone tried to hurt you, you are to tell us immediately."

"But if it's us they want," Lucy said in the same quiet voice she had used all evening, "they'll attack you and Katlin to get to us."

Orion gave her a small, reassuring smile. "You don't need to worry about us, Lucy. This is what, each in our own way, Katlin and I are trained to do."

"But why are you telling us this?" Justin ask cautiously. "Aren't you afraid one of us will go to the Ministry and tell them who you are?"

Thomas lifted his head, focusing his gaze on Katlin. "One of us already did." He stated flatly.

Justin turned with his other two siblings to stare at their older brother. "What do you mean?" He ask.

Thomas turned to face them. "Just what I said." He replied. "What did you think? The Aurors just picked this house to have a raid at the other morning? They came because I found out Katlin was a Deatheater and reported her."

"Thomas!" Lucy cried out in shock. "How could you?! Katlin trusted us."

"I thought she was going to hurt us!" Thomas defended. "I did what I thought was right." He added, turning back to the others. "But I was wrong. Katlin isn't like the other Deatheaters. She risk her life to save us when we were attacked by those people, and she risk her life again saving me from the Deatheaters at the lair. She's telling the truth about there being two kinds of Deatheaters. And I've seen the other kind, and she's nothing like them. They would have killed me without a thought. She risk her life to get me out of there."

"Your brother made a mistake." Katlin broke in quickly, stopping the others from making any further incriminating remarks on his actions. "But it is exactly the reason I wanted you to hear this from me. I don't want you to fear me because of who or what I am. And I don't want you to worry that some night I am going to try and steal you all from your beds and drag you off to the dark lord's lair. That is what I am trying to prevent, not participate in. If I wanted to turn any of you over to Voldemort, I would have left your brother at the lair and saved myself a great deal of trouble."

"But Voldemort now knows you exist." Orion put in. "And for whatever reason, you have unfortunately gained his attention as well as whoever attacked your family originally. So it's very important none of you leave the grounds of the estate or go anywhere alone, you understand?"

All four nodded as they stared up at him.

"And if anything happens here, if Katlin or I aren't around, you call for Bo. He'll come if you call him, and there's very little that could come into this house that he can't deal with, all right?"

Four pairs of eyes continued to stare up at him.

"Call the boggart?" Justin ask questioningly. "To protect us?"

Orion gave him a small smile. "Give him a chance. You might be surprised."

****

Q&A

MasterLupin:

****

I have a feeling that this is going to backfire on Katlin. Her position on race is a hard pill to swallow in the first place, trying to justify it instead of letting it be makes it a suppository.  
So what is Katlin's feelings on the Potters and Harry, he is a half blood after all and his father married a muggle. Under her logic Harry is beneath her. Also how dose she feel about Voldemort trying to kill a baby, and failing miserably? How dose she not think that anyone attempting to kill a baby will not come back changed?  
As for Sirius, didn't Orion say he sheltered him at his house when he was trying to assuage Harry of Sirius teaching him that his brother was an ashole?

That was a very cute way of putting it, Dear. Gave PAR a little laugh.

Everyone may not agree with Katlin's point of view about certain things, but you have to admit, she's a mot softer on certain issue than most of her group. She at least feels you should let the past alone. If a wizard/witch marries a muggle and they have children, oh well. Bad for them, but nothing can be done about it now. The general Deatheater feelings on the matter is such families should be wiped out.

And she has no intention, as this chapter showed, of trying to justify that particular point to the children anyway. She is merely trying to let them know she isn't all they think when they hear the word 'Deatheater'.

Did we read the same book, Dear? My understanding was that James Potter, a wizard, married Lily, a witch, and they had Harry, who is, therefore, a pure blood. Was there something in the later books? As that I stopped reading at book five, that's possible.

Katlin doesn't feel anyone is 'beneath her'. Her first question upon meeting someone isn't 'So, any muggles in your family?'. She doesn't care. She simply believes such unions should not be encouraged, but she is by no means fanatical about it. She would certainly not base whether or not she liked someone based on what their genetic make-up is.

Katlin's feelings about the attack on the Potter's has been alluded to several times, but never fleshed out, so-to-speak. She has commented several times, however, that she has little respect for anyone who would attack children and basically feels such a person is a coward.

So where does that leave her with Voldemort regarding Harry? Pretty much the way it states. She may not be able to bring herself to call the man a coward, but she freely admits he has changed. But she feels he had already changed before the attack since he was able to conceive such a thing and carry it out to begin with. After the attack, he just came back even less of the man she remembered and loved so much.

Harry, Sirius, and Orion have never been in the Black Estate all at the same time. When Harry was there with Arabella and Sirius, Orion had moved his family out. When Harry was taken by Orion in the beginning of Family Relations, Sirius was not there. And later in that story, Voldemort was in control of Sirius' body most of the time.

The only time Orion and Sirius have been in the house together was when Sirius first escaped prison and Orion hid him in the attic when the Aurors came to search the house for him. Sirius left soon after that, feeling that since Orion had put a binding charm on him at the time that he was a threat to him and not to be trusted.

Does that help clear things up any, Dear?

ilovesiriusblack:

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Ok so Katlin doesn't believe in blowing people up, and she keeps saying that Voldemort changed after attacking the Potters, but hello he still did atack the Potters he went out of his way to murder a one year old child, unhinged much?  
Also has anyone ever pointed out to her that Voldemort is a 'half breed' as she likes to put it?  
Last question: Is Orion going to let her raise Katy to believe that inbreeding works?  
Great chapter looking forward to the next one.

Well, technically, I never said she didn't believe in blowing people up. Just has to be the right set of circumstances and the right people.

Yes, Voldemort did attack the Potter's and he did attempt to kill a baby. And Katlin is aware of that, and she has commented on it several times. She knows he has changed. She has said as much several times. He is not the man who raised her and he no longer seems to believe in the very things he taught her. I don't know that she would ever use the word 'Unhinged' in reference to him, but she definitely agrees he has changed in many aspects.

Voldemort does not exactly run about advertising that fact. My take on that would be that she either doesn't know or doesn't care. Katlin does not see 'half-breeds' as pariahs. If anything, she feels they should be pitied, but by no means shunned simply due to the accidental circumstances of their birth.

Are they beneath her? She probably feels so. But it's more of a power issue with her than anything. In a fight, she would not have much fear knowing she was going up against a 'half-breed', because she is a full-blooded witch, and therefore, in her mind, more powerful. One day someone may surprise her, but not so far.

So her worst point here is she's a bit of a snob, but not much else.

Katlin has no intention of trying to press her views on the children or try turning them into little Deatheaters or anything else. She, in fact, plans to do just the opposite. She doesn't want her children to have anything to do with Voldemort or his Deatheaters and this is a point that will be brought home in stories following Family Ties as Thomas' abilities come more to light and someone starts to take a bit more than a casual notice.

All reviews are as of 05/25/2008.

And remember;

Men are from Earth. Woman are from Earth. Deal with it.


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Of course it's mine! And I made a frinkin' mint off of it. That thing I do during the day...getting up early five days a week and spending eight hours a day at some office where I work for pennies, that's just to keep me from getting bored.

And if you believe that, I have some swamp land to sell you here in Florida.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: MY TURN

Katlin stood before the dark lord, watching carefully as the man's eyes slid from her to the man standing next to her.

It gave her at least some pleasure to realize that now that they were in the dark lord's chamber, standing before him, that Treaks didn't seem quite as sure of himself as he had been when he attacked her before. The man practically broke into a cold sweat as the eyes of the man standing before him came to rest on him.

"Johnathan has made a very serious accusation against you, Katlin." Voldemort spoke, never taking his eyes off of the other Elite as he did so.

Katlin was more than prepared for this. She knew that Johnathan would tell Voldemort that she had helped Thomas escape. Had even defended the boy against her fellow Deatheaters to make sure he got away.

A summons was sure to follow Johnathan's disclosure, and that very morning she had gotten it.

Orion had helped her work up the story she would tell Voldemort for her actions of a few days before, using information he had gotten directly from Orin Bale.

The information was highly confidential, but having explained the situation to his superior, Orion had gotten the clearance for Katlin to reveal a small portion of what they knew to Voldemort. Something that would make her story all the more credible in his eyes. After several hours of talk and discussion and putting facts in place, Katlin felt that she had the matter now very well in hand.

A sentiment that had been only just reflected in Orion's features that morning when she had gotten the summons to return to the lair. He was worried for her, and she couldn't fault him for that. Voldemort rarely summoned someone to praise them for some act. But she had had a whole day of laying in bed to work over and solidify what she would tell Voldemort about her apparent actions in helping the young wizard escape, and she felt confident she had the situation laid out in such a way as to not only justify her actions, but show Treaks in the worst possible light of someone once again interfering with her plans.

"I am well aware of Johnathan's accusations." Katlin replied with utter confidence.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Treaks twitch slightly. Good. He knew she was prepared and while she had every idea of what he had against her, he had absolutely none as to what she planned to say or do.

"However," Katlin continued, keeping her voice level, but dropping it slightly to an apologetic tone, "the only person I feel I need explain myself to and ask any forgiveness from, is you Lord Voldemort."

The dark lord slowly turned his stare back to her. "Explain."

"My actions were not without purpose, Lord Voldemort. And that purpose was solely to serve you. I apologize only for having not informed you of my plans, but there simply wasn't time. If my actions were to appear authentic instead of plotted, I had to act quickly. The Aurors were moving too fast on this matter. I had to stay ahead of them."

Voldemort seemed genuinely interested now in what she had to say, rather than simply passing time trying to think up a suitable punishment for her.

"Continue."

"My lord, she is lying!" Treaks immediately spoke up, seeing his assumed iron grip on the matter slipping.

Voldemort turned back to the man with a sneer on his face. "Silence! You have not been given any order to speak here. You, in fact, Treaks, have had your say in the accusation you brought against my second-in-command. You, therefore, will be silent until she has had her right to defend her actions." And with that dismissal, Voldemort turned his attention back to Katlin.

"Continue."

Katlin would have given almost anything to simply be able to give Treaks one, quick smug smile. But she kept her attention instead focused on the man before her.

"The Auror Black has taken in five children, my lord." She began, keeping her tone level and calm. "These are the children of the Belker's, the couple that was murdered some days ago and for which we are taking the blame."

"I could not care any less what deeds or misfortunes the Ministry decides to lay on my doorstep, Katlin." Voldemort replied with disdain.

Katlin gave a small bow. "Of course not, my lord. I merely sought to point out who the boy was and his significance to my actions."

"Then do so."

"The Belker's, my lord, were attacked for a reason. This was no random act. This couple was working for the Ministry, undercover, to try and find information on the wizard in the north."

Voldemort's attention focused more intently on her. "Continue." The order came more firmly this time.

"The couple found something, my lord. Unfortunately, before they were able to reveal it to anyone, they were attacked and killed."

"How could you possibly know any of this?!" Treaks demanded. "Did the Minister of Magic send you an owl with all his secrets attached to it's leg?"

Katlin turned to the man with the smug smile she had been wanting to give him so badly. "He doesn't need to, Johnathan." She replied sweetly. "As you seem to have forgotten, I am engaged in a rather intimate affair with the top agent of the Unspeakables. Their books are open pages to me. And as much, and as often, as Orion Black enjoys my talents, he tells me anything I want to know without hesitation."

Katlin took extreme satisfaction in watching the jab find its mark. The man's eyes darkened with anger as he forced himself to turn back to the dark lord. Only to find himself facing the man's wand.

Treaks hit the floor in a scream of pain.

"You will not speak again unless told to do so." Voldemort stated as the last rolls of pain shot through the other Elite.

When Voldemort turned back to her, Katlin continued her story as though nothing unusual had happened.

"Whatever they found, it was the reason for the attack. The Ministry feels very strongly that the attack was carried out by the followers of the wizard in the north, ordered so that the Belker's could not tell anyone what information they had found out regarding him."

"So the Ministry never got this information?"

"Black says no, my lord."

"And what has this to do with the boy who you allowed to escape?"

"I did not 'allow' him to escape, my lord. I helped him directly to do so. But it was necessary to my further plans."

"Continue."

"The Belker's had five children, my lord, all of whom have been placed in the care of Black. The man, however good an Auror he may be, is, however, quite helpless when it comes to the care of children. It is little wonder that Thorman found the boy wandering about the streets of London unsupervised. Black likely didn't even realize the boy was gone."

Voldemort seemed to consider her story thus far, but then simply nodded for her to continue.

"I had seen the children, of course, since I now reside with Black at his estate as his live-in mistress. When the boy first came up missing, Black didn't even seem to notice. I was about to start trying to find out where he had gone off to when I had to return to the lair on your summons to interrogate a new prisoner."

Voldemort again gave her a brief nod.

"Once I saw the boy, my lord, I recognized him immediately, and him, me. And I quickly realized what an excellent opportunity had been handed to me to help further your plans.

Fortunately, I had already arranged to see the child alone. I was able to talk to him as the friend he thought I was, and convince him that I would help him escape."

"Why did you not just interrogate him as you were told to do?" Treaks spoke up again, trying every chance he had to find a weakness in her story even though he knew the price he would pay.

Again he collapsed to the floor in a scream of pain.

"Continue." Voldemort stated flatly, folding his arms across his chest as he let his wand swing back and forth between two fingers. Treaks was seriously getting on his nerves at this point.

Katlin did turn this time to the man on the floor, regarding him with disdain. "I needed the child's confirmation I had helped him in escaping the clutches of the Deatheaters, imperiling my own life in doing so, if the Ministry was to believe my story of the rescue." Katlin turned back to Voldemort. "Interrogating the boy, then placing a memory charm on him was simply too risky, my lord. Everything depended on the child believing me to be his ally. And he did. My plan came off exactly as I expected it to. The child was freed and returned to his caretaker. The Ministry sees me even more so as a traitor to you and willing to work for them as a spy within the lair, and, as a favor I offered to them, I am now acting as nanny to the five children, since Black has proven himself to be so seriously inept in the care of children. I will have free access to them without question, and I can begin to carefully interrogate each of them individually to see what they may know about what their parents learned of the wizard in the north."

"An excellent plan, Katlin." Voldemort stated after considering all she had told him. "You have, as always, proven your loyalty."

"But there is more to this, my lord." Katlin added quickly. "Things you should know about should other seek to interfere with my plans.

"No one will interfere with your actions from here on, Katlin. I will see to that."

"But there is more to consider, my lord. And in order to investigate, I will need to establish myself with the children without interruption, so they will see me as a permanent fixture in their lives, not just as Black's mistress. More as...a mother figure. Someone they can trust and talk to."

"For what purpose?"

"Thomas, the boy who Thorman brought here, my lord. You heard for yourself that the boy had been seen apparating into an alleyway. That is an unusual talent for a child of his age."

Voldemort nodded once in agreement.

"The child also joined in the attack against Treaks and his followers...and stood up to them." Katlin supposed she could have left that part out and come off just as well in Voldemort's eyes, but she couldn't help that, with just a little rewrite of the facts, she could take one more stab at showing Johnathan up once again in the light of glaring incompetence.

"This child," Katlin continued, "held off ten adult Deatheaters for several minutes until I was able to effect our escape. That is something worth taking note of. The child has great potential, my lord. And he also has four siblings. Such children, under the right guidance, could one day be of great assistance to you."

While Voldemort considered her words, Katlin prayed he heard only what she wanted him to.

For her, however, her presence in the children's lives would accomplish just the opposite of what she had promised Voldemort. Under her protection, she could guard them against any contact with the Deatheaters, by free choice or otherwise, and make sure Voldemort only learned about them what she wanted him to know.

Thomas was showing great promise with his already displayed skills. A promise Voldemort would not hesitate to exploit for his own use. And that was something Katlin simply could not allow to happen.

"Very well, Katlin." Voldemort finally replied. "You have proven your words to me. You may return to the Black estate to continue your work there. But see that your reports continue. I expect progress in this area, not failure."

"As long as my affairs are not interfered with," Katlin replied flatly, casting a scornful look at Johnathan, who had just managed to regain his feet, "I see no reason my mission should not serve you well, my lord."

"No one will interfere with your mission, Katlin." Voldemort stated. "Dismissed."

Treaks turned with her to leave, but a cold voice stopped him in his tracks as it equally put a smile on Katlin's lips.

"Permission to leave was only granted to my second-in-command, Treaks." Voldemort stated, his voice a low, steady rumble in the chamber. "You will remain."

Katlin was sure the man was already breaking into another cold sweat. Voldemort took a very low view of one of the Elite raising false accusations against another. He demanded unity in this group above any other, since they were his secondary leaders. And Johnathan had been showing himself to be a man with far too much ambition, something Voldemort had been taking a very dim view of lately. Even the smallest opposition to his rule he took as a show of disloyalty. And Voldemort did not suffer such an action very well.

Katlin barely made it out the door of the chamber when the screams started.

She closed it with a satisfying slam.

****

Q&A

MasterLupin:

****

well it wasn't a travesty of a family meeting, but I think it could have gone better. Also I think Orion failed to mention that when he says not to leave the estate alone, what the qualifications of the other person need to be to leave.  
Lily was born to muggles, James was born to an old wizarding family. Lily is a mudblood, which in turn makes Harry a half-blood. Harry is not a pure blood because he is "contaminated" by Lily's muggle parents/ his grandparents. To qualify as pure blood you have to be from wizard families that have always been wizard families, anything else means your not pure (which is why a lot of the pure bloods are related and inbred to some degree). Think of it in 1800 US racial terms either your 100 all white or your not white.

Poor Orion. I think in the future he is going to find that Fatherhood is not as simple as it seems. Taking care of the boggart will seem positively simple by comparison. And just wait until the kids start corrupting the boggart. Think of all the lovely things they can teach him.

I suppose. However, there were wizards/witches in that family somewhere, since when Lily started showing talents in that direction, the families reaction (sans Petunia) was near euphoria, rather than fear or total lack of understanding.

Jimbocous:

****

Well, after reading this so far, I can sure see why Family Ties needed to go on hiatus for a while. Overall, a fascinating universe you've spun out of HP-verse here. I'm curious as to whether you ever did read HBP or DH? I read your comments on OOTP when it came out, and didn't necessarily go with you on that. I do have to admit the raging moody HP was a little hard to take, but then I guess I was probably hard to take when I was a raging teenage male all those many moons ago as well. But what I did like was the extent to which HP got tired of being manipulated and, however wrongly, tried to take a hand in his own destiny. Based on that, still can't decide if OOTP was the best of the series or second best. However, HBP was a train wreck and DH was basically incoherent, in my opinion. Very disappointing, and infuriating to have the series wrap up with such blatant manipulation. Oh, gee, I was never prepared for more than the basics so I'll just waltz up to Moldyshorts and be the scacrifial lamb? Nonsense. Sad thing is, I could name 100 writers on this and other fanfic sites that have better characterization skills than JKR ever showed past the third book. To get back on topic, you would definitely be on that 100 list, as I really appreciate your character skills. Anyway, looks like I'm caught up in PAR verse, so will be looking forward to nexts, and thanks for a fun read

Actually, the main reason Family Ties went into Hiatus was because it's just way too much work for me to try and keep two separate stories straight. I have tried posting two stories at once. The results were not good at all.

Why, thank you, Dear! My agent think so too. And that's about all I can say about what's going to go on with that right now.

As stated, I did read OOTP. Did not like it. Haven't, in fact, liked any of the series since GoF. The best book so far? Book 3. No question.

I have not read any of HBP.

I read through DH and could probably vaguely tell you what it was about. But like you, I feel even if I read it word for word in a quiet room, giving it 100 of my attention, I likely couldn't do much better telling you what it was about than I can now.

JKR definitely missed 'Developing and fully utilizing your characters traits and attributes' day in writing class.

I also thought Harry's reaction to Sirius' 'incident' was so poorly written, you barely even noted it was there. For me, the first on my 'to do' list would be making Bellatrix's birth certificate a worthless document. I would then proceed to show Voldemort, one Deatheater at a time, just how pissed off I really was.

That is high praise indeed, Dear. And I am glad you like my little universe. Family Ties will be starting up again shortly. You have one little short one shot coming out first called One Night In Bangkok, whose sole purpose is to introduce a character, however briefly, by the name of Eric Matherson. The man who is currently giving SOB lessons to the Deatheaters. And he's absolutely just the man for the job.

****

Family Relations

So then end to another amazing story in this arc. Wild stuff. I have to say you caught me be surprise with a few things. I will say that, as the author, you have a lot more empathy for Charly than I do. If he doesn't get his just desserts, at leat I hope Treak (or as I've been calling him, Tweak) gets his. Really detestable charachter there. Thanks for a fun read.

Well good. I'm back to catching someone by surprise at least. Silverfox and MasterLupin are getting harder and harder for me to do this too. Especially the latter, who seems at times to have a direct link into my computer notes.

Now, now. Charly has his good points, and he really is doing everything he's doing for Orion's own good. Unlike Treaks (Tweaks), Charly is not out for power, glory, or anything else. He's out trying to save his friend's life, which by the end of Family Relations, seemed a somewhat moot point now, and perhaps he should have come clean. Whether the decision not to will come back to haunt him waits to be seen.

Of course he's detestable. Every good story needs one really detestable character. Mine is Johnathan. But that's also what makes him so much fun to write.

Silverfox:

****

I like Lucy. Slightly worried that the kids will let something slip at school, though, especially the younger ones.  
**Ad MasterLupin: A lot of people don't seem to get the difference between the words 'Muggle' and 'Muggle born'. It might have something to do with JKR never actually giving us a definition of the terms pureblood and halfblood. Gr! (We know Neville, Ron and Draco are purebloods. In Draco's case we know that he has no Muggle ancestors at all, in those of the other two we at least don't know of any Muggle ancestors. Seamus is halfblood, with one parent a witch, the other a Muggle. Harry however has at least one set of Muggle grandparents, but neither of his parents are Muggles. It's never said whether he's considered halfblood or pureblood - or maybe something else entirely? How far back does the last Muggle ancestor have to be for you to be considered pureblood?)**

Lucy is definitely her own woman, long past giving a rat's patooty what her older brother thinks or wants her to do.

Let's not forget who these kids current surrogate father is. Orion will have then so well trained by the time they head back to school, muggle or otherwise, that where Katlin is concerned, they'll know exactly what to say, when to say it, and who to say it to.

Indeed, I feel the definition of half-blood, pure blood, and muggle born were all less than exactly defined in the books. It was just another part of the story that JKR seemed to loose interest in. I always thought that a child born of a witch and wizard, no matter who else's genetics were involved, was a pure blood.

Oh well.

All reviews are as of 06/01/2008.

And remember;

Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.


	30. Chapter 30

A/N:

As always,

Enjoy.

Story Summary: See! I told you I don't do Author's Notes anymore. I do story summaries now!  
That thing above this? That says A/N? That, folks, I have done since I started on this site over seven years ago and it's more tradition for me than anything else.

This is the last chapter of this story, folks. It ran slightly longer than I anticipated...by about twenty-five chapters. No additional scenes were added from the original draft, just a lot more information added to the overall story.

You'd think I was being paid by the word here.

Next up is a short one shot with Orion and Charly called One Night In Bangkok. It's sole purpose is to introduce a character you will be seeing a lot more of in Family Ties. That story will be starting probably in July or August, depending on my health. So just watch my author's page for updates. I will keep it up-to-date.

Disclaimer: What? Still? Really?

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: WRAPPING UP LOOSE ENDS

Loudmen was sitting at his desk when the door to his office opened without a knock proceeding it.

The man looked up in irritation, ready to lay into whoever was foolish enough to disturb him so, when he stopped abruptly, half out of his chair.

"Orin!"

Bale waved the man back down. "Sit down, Martin. We need to have a little chat. And I promise it won't take long. I know how busy you are."

Loudmen slowly sat back down in his chair. He was sure he had heard sarcasm in the last part of Bale's statement.

"I understand there was some activity on the part of your Aurors at the home of one of my agents, Martin." Bale started right off as he seated himself in the opposite chair. "Specifically, Orion Black."

Loudmen decided to jump on the defensive as quickly as he could. "We did receive a report..."

"From a fourteen-year-old boy," Bale quickly cut him off. "who reported seeing a Deatheater in the household."

"The boy stated the man's wife was a Deatheater, Orin." Loudmen stated, his agitation rising as he laid out his justifications for his actions in the matter. "An Elite no less!"

"And the evidence?" Bale ask, seeming to take as much notice of Loudmen's rising agitation as he would of the sun coming up each morning.

Loudmen pulled up slightly behind his large, oak desk. "We felt there was enough clear evidence to warrant a search."

Bale steepled his fingers in front of him as he fixed a solid stare on the other man. "Evidence from an unhappy, traumatized, fourteen-year-old teenager who didn't much care for his new foster mother? You call that reliable information?"

"The boy was very sure of what he saw, Orin. And we checked his story. He past my agents scans. He couldn't have done that if he was just spinning a tale because he was unhappy with his new living arrangements."

"True enough." Orin replied casually, turning a small smile to the man. "So, what was it your Aurors found?"

Loudmen hated playing this sort of game with the Unspeakable. Mostly because he knew he was all too likely to lose. "Why ask?" He replied. "You're looking like a cat that just swallowed a canary, Orin. My guess is you already know."

"Humor me." The Unspeakable answered.

Loudmen gave a loud sigh. "You know very well they found nothing, Orin. Now if you don't mind..." He stated, getting to his feet.

"Oh. But they did find something, didn't they, Martin?" Bale replied.

Loudmen stopped halfway to his feet, not liking what he heard in the tone of the other man voice. Slowly he returned to his chair. "What do you mean?"

"My understanding was that your agents...at least one of them...got a personal introduction to the elusive Mrs. Black."

Loudmen carefully considered his answer. "Primm met Mr. Black's wife, yes."

"And he reported that meeting back to you, I presume?"

Loudmen set a solid stare on the other man. "Yes."

"Good. Now, for your future reference, Martin, and just in case there is still some question in your mind over the matter, let me inform you that I have, myself, met Orion Black's wife, and I can tell you without any reservation that the woman your Auror saw was indeed the real Katlin Black. Her name before her marriage was Hekren. Katlin Hekren. She comes from a small village in southern Wales which currently has all the attraction of the aftermath of a volcanic explosion. Both her parents are dead. She has no siblings. She is thirty-three years old. Has no children of her own, but has high hopes to very soon increase her happy little household by five. And that, Martin, is from a reliable source.

Now, I am also sure you currently are aware that Mrs. Black is a somewhat...frail woman, who does not need to be upset or frightened. Something I assume having a squad of Auror's running about her house is likely to do.

So, I would consider it a courtesy if, in the future, you would check out your source and their information a bit more carefully before sending your Aurors on a raid." Bale said, getting to his feet. But as he turned and started for the door to the office, he stopped and slowly turned back to the man. "Oh, one last thing, Martin."

Loudmen looked up at the man, not liking the look in his eyes one bit. Bale was definitely up to something. One last card he was about to pull out of his sleeve. And he had all the confidence in the world from that look, that it was a trump card.

"This vendetta you have against me...venting your anger against me is one thing. But when you start to use your position to make problems for my agents, I begin to take that more personally."

Loudmen started to say something, but Bale cut him off quickly.

"It isn't my fault or anyone else's, Martin, that there were Deatheaters operating as Aurors in your department. And whereas you may have been happier if I hadn't found them..., I couldn't very well have just ignored the situation either.

And I can't help that the Daily Prophet found out and had a field day with that information.

But Martin, there is one thing I can do." Bale continued, stepping back over to the man's desk until he stood directly in front of it. "If I hear of you pulling another raid on one of my agents, trying to interfere with any of their missions, or if one of your Aurors so much as takes even one small step in the direction of Mrs. Black again, I will come back to your department, and I will start at the ceiling and work my way down to the floor." He said, pulling a long, brown sheath of wood out of his jacket, which he laid on the front edge of the desk before him. "And I bet I'll just be amazed at what I'll find." The Unspeakable added, giving the wand he'd taken from Thomas a small push so that it rolled across the desk, just stopping from going over the edge as Loudmen grabbed at it.

"Do have a nice day, Martin, won't you?" Bale finished with a small smile as he finally turned and stepped out of the office.

As soon as Orin left the office, Jon apparated into his superior's office.

"So what did the great Orin Bale want?" He ask.

Loudmen sat with the wand held by two fingers of either hand. "Orin was just returning my property to me, Jon." Loudmen replied casually.

"That's the wand you gave Thomas Belker." The other wizard stated with a slight trace of poorly disguised alarm in his voice.

"That's right."

"And Orin Bale had it?!"

Loudmen nodded once, having not once yet even turned to look at the man standing next to his desk.

"You don't seem particularly worried."

"Why should I be?"

"Doesn't it concern you?"

Loudmen shook his head. "No."

Jon moved so he now stood directly in front on his superior's desk, leaning over it as he studied the man in the chair. "Orin Bale, head of the Unspeakable's, comes into your office to return an unregistered wand that he knows is yours, and that doesn't concern you?"

Loudmen shook his head again. "No."

"Would you care to tell me 'why'?" The other wizard ask.

Loudmen turned his eyes to the man. "So Bale brought me back a wand." He shrugged. "So what, Jon? It doesn't prove anything."

"It's unregistered, Martin. And you can bet you last knut that Orin Bale knows that."

"So?"

The man was starting to go way past exacerbation. "What if he goes to the Ministry? What if he reports it!?"

Loudmen placed the wand on his desk. Pulling out his own wand he pointed it at the other wand, which instantly turned into a line a fine dust.

Placing his wand back in his pocket, Loudmen turned to his second-in-command. "Reports what, Jon?"

The man didn't say anything, but simply fixed a disbelieving stare on his superior.

"Tell every Auror that has one of those wands they are to do exactly the same thing." Loudmen replied in a flat, level tone.

The other wizard frowned at the order. "Those wands were extremely difficult to get, Martin. Destroying them..."

"...is the price we pay for being careless, Jon." Loudmen finished for him. "Now, I hold only myself responsible that Bale came into possession of this information. It was my own fault for trusting Belker's son. Not a mistake I intend to repeat. But nor am I going to leave any evidence laying around for Bale to use against me when the mood strikes him. Have those wands destroyed."  
Jon paused for a moment, then nodded as he pulled back from the desk and finally turned and left the office with a sigh.

Returning to his office, Orin sat down in his chair with a loud sigh as he closed his eyes.

"Well?" He ask.

A flash of dark light erupted in the room and a tall man in his forties appeared before Orin's desk. The man's hair, cut in the height of executive fashion, was as dark as his eyes, which only went on to match the overall expression on his face.

"Why do you treat that man like he is some inconsequential vermin?"

"Because to me, he is ."

The man leaned his six foot four frame over Orin's desk as he glared down at him. "Martin Loudmen is a very dangerous man, Orin. You should not treat him so lightly. If he were a Deatheater, I would never take my eyes off the man."

Orin opened his eyes with a bemused smile on his lips. "Well, how fortunate for you he's not one then. Now, did things go the way you predicted or not?"

The other man held out his hand and in it a long sheath of wood instantly materialized. "He did exactly what I told you he would. As soon as you left his office, he tried to destroy the evidence."

Orin gave a small smile. "And the others?"

The man kept his hand held out. Eight more wands joined the first, which the man placed on Orin's desk.

Orin gave the wands a quick look over. "I take it they don't know?" He ask, turning to the other man.

The man gave him an indignant stare. "I am perfectly capable of copying a wand, Orin. Give me some credit."

"Oh, I do." He replied with a small smile, leaning back in his chair again as he once more closed his eyes. "I give you a great deal of credit. So tell me, what did you find out in the other matter?"

The other wizard gave a loud sigh, crossing his arms over his chest.

Bale opened his eyes again and stared back at the man. "This isn't good news, is it?"

The man pulled himself back up to his impressive height. "No. It's not, Orin."

Bale gave a dismal sigh. "All right. Get it over with then."

"Nothing." The man replied. "That is what I found. Whatever was in those file, Belker did an admirable job of making sure no one could pull them back together. Even me."

Orin sighed again as he leaned back in his chair again. "So we are no closer than we ever were to finding out what's going on?"

The man crossed his arms over his chest. "We know this wizard is out there. And we know the source of his power. I would say we are ahead of the game."

Orin gave him a short laugh. "The eternal optimist. That's what you are."

"And you seemed forever determined to find the cloud for every silver lining."

"Some call that being 'cautious'."

"I call it being boring."

"So what do we do now?" Bale ask, steepling his fingers in front of him as he stared up at the man in front of his desk.

The man shrugged. "Wait. This wizard has shown himself to be impatient at best. He'll tip his hand soon enough. Of that I am sure."

Bale shrugged in return. "I suppose that is, in truth, all we can do for now."

"Indeed." The man answered. "Then I'll bid you good night, Orin."

Bale gave the man a small smile. "Good night, Eric." He offered just before the man disappeared in his usual flare of dark light.

****

Q&A

ilovesiriusblack:

****

Loved this chapter. I may feel a little bad for Orion I haven't decided yet if he really is as bad a parent as Katlin is making out, though I suspect he might be. So glad Treaks got what was coming to him, he really should stop trying to get Katlin in to trouble he never succeeds I think he may acctually have a death wish.  
On the pure blood half blood debate I believe Dumbledore tells Harry he is a half blood at the end of OOtP when explaining why Voldemort went after him rather than Neville but I was a little upset when I read it and have not re-read it since so I may be wrong.  
Looking forward to the next chapter.  
Ps. Could you define shortly in regards to Family Ties I would hate to miss an update.

Katlin actually did embellish a little to make her poor husband seem about as incompetent as a man could be in caring for five children. But she's no 'mother of the year' yet herself. Parenting is OJT, and it'll take them a little while to get the hang of it. But they've done remarkably well so far.

Katlin does manage to put Treaks back in his place for each attempt he has made after her position. But for every time he fails, he just comes back that much more determined. The whole situation is becoming something of an obsession with him, and Katlin may have to make a decision soon on fixing the problem permanently. I'm sure that'll keep her up nights.

Well, you'd have me there, since I didn't read all of OotP. I got to 'the incident', and quit there.

There was going to be one more chapter here, by I decided against it. It was really superfluous. So, this story ends with this chapter.

Next you get a short one shot with Orion and Charly which is solely to give you a bit more information on Eric, because you'll need it for Family Ties, then I'm taking a short vacation from this for a while to get some other things done, and then we'll start back with Family Ties. And either to make you happy, or keep you up nights, I will say that Family Ties has very good potential at this point to be the longest of the three story arcs.

All in all, look for Family Ties to resume July or August.

MasterLupin:

****

I guess it is possibles for there to have been a magical relation to Lily's family long long ago, but in cannon her family was and has always been muggle. Thus Harry is a half blood or in the eyes of the pure bloods, he is a mud blood.  
Hmm... this chapter seems to show that this is moment when Voldemort shifts his attention from trying to kill a 15 year old boy (Harry is 15 at this point, yes?) to focusing on the wizard in the north.  
The age guessing raises a new thought, I may have missed this bit of info but. Voldemort was re-incarnated to an actual body when Harry was 14, using Harry's blood. Yet I have the impression that Voldemort has been around before that period from the way Katlin acts. Do I have the time line mixed up for this story?

True. I guess I got the idea there was a witch or wizard in the family somewhere from the fact that when Lily showed to be a witch, the family wasn't the least bit surprised and from the way it was portrayed, accepted the whole thing as thought it happened in the family quite regularly.

Harry is 15. He and Thomas are basically the same age. Harry's birthday, however, is July 31st, and Thomas' is later in the year. So for a short time Harry is one year older than Thomas.

Actually, Voldemort has been interested in the wizard in the North for a while now. If you'll think back to Enemies (Remember that?), what was supposedly in the package the currier was bring Orion was waiting for in the woods that one night? And Katlin had told him the information her informant brought was much the same. All centering on information gathered on the wizard in the north and his growing power base.

Enemies was actually the first mention made of the wizard in the north. The time between Enemies and Family Relations is approximately 15 years.

Now, are there discrepancies and continuity errors in my time line? I would bet a large sum of money on that. The reason is that the three story arcs went through a major shift halfway through and it threw things a bit out of kilter time-wise. So just work with me on the time line. I've got my iron out and I'm trying to smooth things over, but it's gonna take some time.

OK, now you're getting into some serious grey area, Dear. Let me try to help you out.

Yes, Voldemort did recreate a body for himself at the end of GoF using Harry's blood. Now you have to consider two separate stories. The canon one and mine. Because they go in tow totally separate directions.

JKR went off in her direction and never really revisited that issue to my knowledge.

On the other hand, much of what happened in the end of Family Life was based on that act. The body Voldemort had created was failing, and so he needed another...fast. That was a large part of the reason he 'hijacked' Sirius' body along with a lot of other reasons crammed in there that were laid out in Family Relations.

Now, regarding 'the way that Katlin acts'. If you mean from before all this (ie: the time between his attack on the Potter's to the time of GoF) that Katlin acts and seems to relate to him being a whole person...welll...that's a bit of a sticky issue with me. Yes, she does seem to be relating things in regard to Voldemort as though he is a whole person. But that's just the way she relates to him. Plus, she didn't actually have a lot of contact with him during that time. Katlin more or less just took orders and did as he told her to do, which was basically trying to keep the Deatheaters in line. Past that, I could write a book on what was going on in that time in the world according to PAR, but it just isn't that relevant to things really. IF you have questions regarding that time feel free to ask and I'll try to answer them with some degree of coherency.

All reviews are as of 06/08/2008.

And remember;

I either get what I want...or I change my mind.


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